


You Took the Words Right Out Of My Mouth

by TheWinsomeWasp



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Irish Mythology, Native American/First Nations Mythology, The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: F/M, It will take a few chapter to get up to the start of the series, M/M, Multi, more than a few - 14
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 22:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 86,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4154760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWinsomeWasp/pseuds/TheWinsomeWasp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU from Cannon before the show starts – the Johnson brothers remain the same but a curveball in Dawn’s teenage years changes things a bit</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kissed me and got out of my bed

Dawn huffed in a deep breath, held it and then slowly released it though her nose. She concentrated on not blinking. Her eyes were shimmering with the weight of unshed tears. If she could just not blink until the air dried them, then she would not be crying. She refused to cry. Not anymore. Not for him. She heard him downstairs his voice and then her mother’s. Not that either of them raised their voices or threw crockery.  Certainly not in the Helgavold household, honestly it sometimes seemed her mother thought that the fact her father was a dentist made them some kind of royalty.  The house wasn’t overly large and the vents carried sound. The words were indistinguishable but the cadence the murmured back and forth was familiar.

After a few minutes she heard the front door close, not slammed of course, no storming out for him; and then the door to his car out front, and then the car driving away.  Her mother’s soft movement downstairs was so routine it made no difference.  Dawn’s eyes had dried considerable when she finally unclenched her jaw and cautiously fluttered her lashes to make sure she was in the clear as far as tears went.

Standing from where she was seated on the foot of the bed, she crossed to look into the full length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. She didn’t look different.  Bare feet, cutoff denims, a pale pink scoop neck tee shirt, blonde pigtails and bangs, her reflection gave a forced rictus smile but her eyes were not red or puffy and she was oddly proud she hadn’t cried.

She thought she was handling the divorce well. She had been trying to be there for her mother despite how bitter and controlling she was becoming, largely Dawn supposed due to the new younger girlfriend her father had acquired since the split.  Dawn had been reaching out to her father, trying to maintain contact suggesting lunch on neutral territory and even once offering to meet the girlfriend despite not wanting to seem like she was taking sides. She was fifteen for Christ sake she should not have to be the adult in this relationship – he was her father. Only he wasn’t. 

The man she had known her whole life wasn’t her father. He’d stopped by today to tell her she had to stop calling him. He came to her room, the same way he had over the years to congratulate her on small awards or honor she’d received and – Dawn paused in her thoughts, a creepy feeling of dread washed over her and the girl in the mirror paled and turned away. Her father had just broken up with her.  He had sat her down and explained that as her dentist he had swabbed her mouth and sent it out for DNA testing. That he had the test done three times and it was the reason he had broken up with her mother.  Her mother had neglected to tell her.

Dawn breathed in deeply again and started counting backwards from one hundred. Right now she wanted to scream. She wanted to run down the stairs and start throwing the dishes and swear at her mother. She wished she knew better swear words. She didn’t think yelling ‘Cunt, Cunt, Cunt’ would help anything. She was fine when she was writing but when she was talking the right words never came. The man she knew her entire life wasn’t her father. The man she knew as her father had just treated her like a crazy ex-girlfriend who was stalking him. The man who had lived in the same house as her entire life, who had read to her, okay two or three times but it counted, who had come to school functions, when work would permit, who gave her his name didn’t think it would be appropriate for them to see each other. Oh and she should probably get a new dentist.

She had to get out of here. Not today of course. She was underage, had no money except what her gran had left for her education and no expectation of surviving on her own. But she had good grades she was already taking some eighth form classes. If she focused she could take the NCEA when she was sixteen and start Uni. She would have a better score if she waited longer but she was pretty motivated and really anywhere was better than here.  

She had to get away from that woman. Honestly it was like some show on the telly. Manipulative ingénue blackmails young successful man to marry her claiming he got her pregnant, only for years later technology to advance enough that he could have a test done to reveal the truth. She felt like her whole life was a walk on role in someone else’s drama. Not anymore. She was going to have her own life, even if she was alone. Her own place where she could shut the door, and leave shoes in the middle of the floor and eat ice cream out of the container. She’d get a job and wear high heels and have lunch with the girls and complain about her boss.  

She turned back to the girl in the mirror and exchanged a fierce nod. Opening the door and heading toward the stairs she lamented that no one could look fierce with bare feet and pigtails.

She slipped into dining room. Honestly it was just the two of them why they couldn’t use the kitchen like normal people. Her mother was seated. A tea try with the pot, sugar, and cream was to her left and she had a china cup, saucer and small plate with four biscuits in front of her. Dawn took her normal seat and said, “Was there a reason I couldn’t have heard that from you.

“I told you he left us. You had no reason to continue –“ her mother started.

“He’s my father, or at least the only one I’ve ever known. Did you really think I would never talk to him again in my life,” Dawn tried to keep calm. If she yelled or raised her voice at all her mother would shut down and refuse to speak at all. “This isn’t a big city,” Dawn found herself reluctant to call her Mum or even Mother so cut herself short, before saying her name, “People, good people, the kind of you always tell me we are, do not suddenly cut all ties to a child they have raised for fifteen years. People, everyone you care about, are going to talk.”

Her mother started weeping and she lifted the cup and she took a sip with a trembling hand. Dawn repressed the urge to grab a biscuit and hurl it at this woman who was more concerned about people talking than she had been about Dawn’s feelings. She did not repress the roll of her eyes but her mother was too caught up in herself, as usual, to notice. Honestly. Dawn sighed. It was obvious she would not be hearing an apology or any admittance of culpability.  “So, who is my father?”

Her mother shot her a disbelieving and betrayed look that implied Dawn should have just gone with the throwing things and yelling ‘cunt, cunt, cunt’ strategy. Well she wasn’t budging, either this woman admitted she was wrong and throws herself on Dawn’s currently nonexistent mercy or she coughs up some details. Dawn put on her best unimpressed look. She’d been practicing it with the girl in the mirror and it was one she carried off well, even in pigtails. She wondered if she could put gives killer unimpressed look on her CV.

“I was very young,” Her mother started. “You have to understand-“

“No, I want to understand, I don’t have to. You’ve lied to me my whole life and then let me make a fool out of myself by chasing a man who already told you he wanted nothing to do with me, which you did not see fit to tell me,” Dawn said. “But I do want to understand. I need facts to do that, not your excuses or emotions. I assume my date of birth is the same?” At her mother nod she continued, “Were you married? Did you have an affair? What is his name? Was he married? Why did you never tell me? Did he say I wasn’t his?”

“I was dating your fath- the man you thought was your father, we weren’t having sex of course.” Her mother said.  “Men don’t marry girls who sleep with them, I’ve told you- “

“Ethic and morality, mother? Really? Just stick to the facts,” Dawn said calmly and ratchet up her unimpressed look.

“His name was Paul, Paul Kelly. I don’t think he was married. He was traveling with a large group, mostly students from the US on something called a gap year. He was from California. I only knew him a short time, they were pushing through. They had spent a few weeks in Australia and were heading for Hawaii.” She said.

“You never told him?” Dawn asked.

“I didn’t know,” her mother raised her voice on that and then said, “He was gone by the time I knew and Joe was here, we’d been dating on and off. I slept with him and then waited a few weeks and told him I was late. There was no way to contact Paul, the names are too common. “And then with a side of the bitterness that had been become so common since the split she added, “It probably wasn’t even his real name.”

“I just,” Dawn said and sighed. “I just wish I had something more than just a name.”

“I,” her mother bit her lip, “I have some pictures. There not great, they were taken with a disposable camera, but one of the girls in the group he was traveling with took them and mailed them to me from Hawaii. I’ll see if I can find them.”

“Thanks,” Dawn said. “Oh, apparently I need to find a new dentist.”

 


	2. All Revved Up with No Place to Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> later, at University

It was her second term of her first year at Uni. Dawn sat cross legged on the foot of her bed. Her room wasn’t much bigger than a large walk in closet and from her twin sized bed she could reach out and touch three of the four walls. She shared the flat with four other girls and didn’t mind the smallest room since she was the only one who didn’t have to double up. She was working on a PowerPoint for her marketing class and had lost all track of time. Out of all her flatmates two were education and two were veterinary, she was the only business major and as such she functioned as house admin. She made sure the chores were divided up, rent was paid and all disputes were directed toward Marissa. Not because Dawn hated conflict but because Marissa was so nice no one could really argue with her. Every Thursday was flatmate night, they took turns making dinner, usually pasta, cheap and filling, opened a couple bottle of dubious wine and caught up on each other’s lives. And she should go help.

Saving her program, she powered down her lap top and plugged it in to charge. She almost skipped into the common room, her classes were going well and the handsome dark haired boy who worked at the coffee shop had winked at her this morning.

“Do you need any help?” She asked. It was Marissa’s night, which meant red sauce with sliced sausages over thick short noodles. Angie always made Alfredo with flat long noodles, Becca made vegetarian lasagna with lots of spinach and thin slices of zucchini, and with Mel it was anyone’s guess. Karen didn’t cook but would get takeaway usually Indian which made a nice change. Karen, or rather her dad was also a lifesaver during mid and end of terms. He sent around a prepaid order of pizza, one meat, one veggie and one plain to get them through. Dawn had a file saved under ‘Parenting’ on her computer and had done a cost verses risk and reward analysis and determined that this was a behavior she would be utilizing with her own kids if she had any.

“Can you get me the strainer and set it up in the sink?” Marissa said. “And check the oven? I want the bread toasted but not too toasted.

The sound of Mel blundering through the front door and heading to her room was pretty distinctive. She always had two back backs and a messenger bag and occasionally an animal. They had to remind her that the lease said no pets because she was a magnet for strays. She was studying large animals but Dawn figured she would end up in a shelter due to her soft heart. “Any mail?” She called.

“Didn’t check,” Dawn said and shared a smile with Marissa. Checking mail was always Mel’s job. Not that Mel balked at even the grossest jobs like cleaning the drains or empting any mice from the traps, veterinary school is not for the faint of stomach, it was just getting her to remember to do it. Mail was deemed something that could wait a day or two without grievous impact such as suspicious smells or health code violations

“I’ll get it,” Mel said crashing back out the door.

She was back in a moment talking as she sort through it, dividing up trade publications and bills into the bins Dawn had set up for each flatmate, they were big enough for magazine, phones, keys or whatever you wanted to make sure the other girl got if she wasn’t around when you were.  “Who sends letters, like actual letters?” She said while waiving an envelope. Her voice changed to a teasing singsong, “Dawn knows someone in Los Angeles. Maybe it’s a movie star.”

Instead of reaching for it Dawn sat down abruptly on the arm of the sofa. She’d waited until she was out of her mother’s house to send off a letter. She hadn’t wanted her mother to cock it up if she got a reply.

“Dawn? You’re as white as a ghost,” Marissa said with some concern.

“I,” She started and then swallowed, “I guess I just wasn’t expecting a reply. Or not so soon.”

“You’re not transferring are you Dawn,” Mel said, handing the envelope over, “when you talked about it I thought you meant to Auckland not another country. Is this about Angie sexiling you? She apologized. I even help her wash your sheets. You know our boyfriends are rarely in town at the same time. And I like Angie but there are just somethings I don’t want to –“

“No.” Dawn interrupted before Mel once again shared too much. “I was trying to track down some family. I just thought it would take longer.”

She turned the envelope over in her hand. The return address’ name wasn’t Donahue like the girl who had sent her mother the photos. That girl had used a California address on the small cardboard box she had shipped the photos in and Dawn, after months of deliberation and many, many rewrites had sent a letter stating her name and address and telling the girl, well woman now that she had got her address from the photos she sent her mother and asking if she knew how to or could get in touch with Paul Kelly. She’d kept it vague. She didn’t want to embarrass him or you know scare him off.

“Will you,” She stopped and looked around. Her friends were looking kind of wide eyed like she was an animal that might easily spook.  “Would you help Marissa finish up, I just.” Dawn stood and looked down at the envelope. It was thick and heavy. More than was needed for a pissoff and don’t contact me again. She swallowed and said, “I just need a minute,” and went back to her room.

Entering the room she looked at the picture. It was scanned and enlarged from one of the snaps her mother had given her; she’d framed it and kept in on her desk. A handsome blond boy in board shorts with sun bleached curls and a cut tan body held her mother bridal style with crashing waves in the background. She sat on her bed, slit the envelope and pulled out the letter. Three sheets, it had a man’s heavy hand to the writing and it was written not typed. Bold block letters were practically engraved in the paper from the weight of pen to paper.

_Darling Dawn,_

_I can only think of one reason a young lady your age from New Zealand would be trying to contact me, and please believe that had I any idea you existed I would have found you. I would have contacted you sooner but you did not include your email address, you’ll find mine at the bottom of this letter. Your brothers’ mother informs me one does not simply show up on a young lady’s doorstep and inundate her with family and we must have an invitation to descend on you like the_ _Tuatha Dé Danann. So let me tell you about your family._


	3. Heaven Can Wait

She had four brother, and two sisters, and counting because apparently her biological father was super fertile or had inconceivable amounts of sex. Dawn jerked her mind away from that though. She was wearing jeans and a jumper and wondered if she should change into a nice skirt and jacket. He hadn’t give her flight information or what hotel he was staying – who popped over from half a world away?

She had an older sister, older by a week due to that sister being premature. Summer. She had a sister named Summer. And a younger one, a new born, named Ocean. Oh God, her father was a hippie. Dad. I’m your dad he’d said - or wrote. A man she’d never met immediately wrote her ‘I’m your dad’ without DNA testing, sight unseen, and the man who had shared a home and life with her for fifteen years didn’t even want to maintain a friendship. She started her breathing exercises. She’d taken a class with Mel on meditation and this was supposed to calm her. She doubted it would work.  Her dad and she had exchanged emails. He hadn’t wanted to step on her mother’s husband’s toes as far as what she called him. She explained why her parents split and that she had not been in contact with her mother’s ex since she was fifteen.

Honestly she’d read her own email that she sent to tell him that at least thirty times before she sent it. She hadn’t wanted to come off as vindictive and bitter. The man didn’t even know her. She was well aware of how abrasive her mother was becoming - more and more vicious. It was getting she dreaded calling home and had slowly over the school year decreased the calls from once week to every two weeks and was hoping to have it down to once a month by the time she graduated. He must have read between the lines because she’d barely hit send when he’d replied asking when she was free and if he could see her. She had checked flights and times and even if he was able to leave the second she’d told him she was free Friday night he shouldn’t have been able to get here. Maybe he meant next Friday. Just as she was getting ready to pull up his email one more time there was a knock at the door.

Dawn was first to the door but could feel Angie and Mel hovering in the background, probably trying to discreetly get a look- or not so discreetly in Mel’s case.  She was glad they were here. Mel had pointed out this stranger could be posing has her father so he could dismember her corpse. Mel watched far too many horror movies. But, they both promised to make themselves scares after meeting him and study in their room. That way Dawn and her dad would have privacy but they could call 111 if they heard any dismembering.

She opened the door and there in the August flurries was the boy from the photo. He wasn’t dressed for the weather in blue jeans and a black short sleeved tee shirt. He looked that indescribable age where people would guess anywhere from thirty to forty, his shoulders and chest were broad and his biceps and forearms were corded with muscles. Her first thought was he was ridiculously good looking; her second was that he must have been unspeakably young when her mother had her way with him. She really needed better thoughts under pressure.

At the same time she said, “I’m Dawn.”

He said, “Hello Dawn.” And then he pulled her into a hug. She stiffened with a start but then found herself relaxing almost against her will. He smelled wonderful. Not like an aftershave or cologne but like oranges and basil. “You’re beautiful,” he said after pulling back to hold her at arm’s length to get a look at her, “And smart too if you’re at University.”

She blushed and said, “thank you, please come in. You must be freezing. It Summer where you’re from right now.”

“Doesn’t bother me,” he said stepping in. “Too much time in the surf, this isn’t even chilly.” Sharp blue eyes took in the flat with one sweep and he flashed straight white teeth with practice charm at the two girls peeking down the corridor to the entry. “Ladies,” he greeted them with a nod, “you have a lovely home.”

“Thank you,” Angie said. Mel said nothing, wide eyed, slightly open mouth she didn’t even blink as she stared at him.

“This is Angie and Mel, two of my flat mates. Becca and Karen are out.” Dawn said as she led her dad down the corridor toward the common room. She gave Angie a look as if to say ‘do something’ and cut her eyes to Mel, “and this is Paul Kelly.”

Angie elbowed Mel, which got a blink and caused her to close her mouth with a squeak. Angie said, “Nice to meet you. We-” and here she bodily pushed Mel though the door to their room, “we were just going to work on a project.”

Dawn showed him to the common area and they made awkward, first date type conversation. After about twenty minutes he asked to take her to dinner and when they stepped outside she looked around and asked, “Where’s your car?”

“I walked,” He said.

That gave Dawn pause, there really wasn’t any place to lodge short term in walking distance but before she could say anything he asked, “Will you take my hand?” His hand was large, warm and callused with fine white scars on his knuckles. They headed in a direction that would take them into an even more residential area. She said, “I don’t think there is anything this way-“

“I don’t want to overwhelm you, but I wanted to talk about things that,” He paused and looking around and stopping on a stretch of street blocked from view by a wall on one side and a plumbers van on the other. “Well there’s no other way to put it, would sound crazy and have your roommates thinking I was a lunatic,” he continued. “Will you take a deep breath, and just trust me for a moment.”

Dawn’s thoughts were racing, she’d been waiting for something bad to happen, really this had all been too easy and she’d expected something to blow up. She was oddly disappointed since she really liked him. If he turned out to be some sort of murdering mad man she was going to haunt him forever. She fully intended to ask to go back to her place but found herself saying, “Sure. As long as it just a moment there shouldn’t be time for panic to set in. If it’s longer than a moment I may end up kicking you in the shin.”

He barked out a laugh and Dawn almost gasped, in the gray winter sunlight she could see in that instant how even her starched and ironed, legs-welded-together mother could have ended up getting knocked up on a beach in Coromandel. Still holding her hand they stepped together not further down the road but into a shoulder height stone wall and it parted with the sound of rustling leaves. Dawn’s grip on his hand tightened and she let out a little shriek. She tried to stop and look around because it looked like the travel sequence from the TARDIS or some CGI of hyperspace. She could see faint threads in colors of copper, silver and gold and even fainter ones in dark purples and blues. “Best to keep moving,” Paul said and pulled her closer to his side, guiding her along what looked like a pale silver thread. Moments later there was another sound, like sand pouring.

The first thing she noticed upon stepping from wherever they had been was the heat, it was at least 80 degrees, the second was that instead of the dim grey light of a late winter afternoon that the sky around was blazing in umbers and ochers. Desert, with low dry scrub and rocks, was on three sides. But as Paul released her hand he put his arm around her shoulder and turned her to face a large structure with at least five floors in places. She wasn’t sure what the architectural style was called but it was built long and curved like a cross between a castle and a print of a building called Fallingwater that Karen had on a wall in her room. There were outlying buildings off to the side and a set of flag poles each flying what looked like crests of some sort.

“Welcome to Morrigan’s Keep,” her dad said. “This is where you would have grown up if I had known about you.”

“Where am I?” Dawn said, over the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.

“About thirty miles outside of Palm Springs California,” Paul replied.

“And that place, with the lights and all the colored ribbons,” She asked.

“You could see those?” He sounded surprised.

“Some were clearer than others,” She said, her heart beat seemed to be slowing but her ears were ringing a bit and she felt light headed. “What was that place?”

“Those are lea lines,” Paul said.

“I thought lea lines were just, magnetics or something, that they’re not visible,” Dawn offered. The only thing she really knew about it was something to do with dowsing.

“Well a flagpole, for instance” He said, nodding in the direction of the flags. They started walking slowly toward the keep; he kept his right arm across her shoulder and reached his left hand to clasp her right as he guided her. “If you look at that in two dimensions, all you’ll see is a circle; the lea lines are like that. Most people here can only sense the magnetic fields, but there’s more to them.”

“And you’re not most people,” Dawn said, looking up at him. She was trying to wrap her mind around the fact she had traveled to the other side of the planet in less time than it would take her to go out and check the mail.

“No, Dawn,” He said. “I am the human embodiment of Goibniu; the Great Smith, maker of weapons, wielder of fire; patron of jewelry crafters, brewers and God of Hospitality.”

“You’re a God,” Dawn stated rather than asked because seriously, she was not at Massey University anymore, unless he had somehow dosed her and she was really unconscious and hallucinating on the floor of her flat she was half a world away.

“I like to think of it more like I am the vacation destination of a God,” He said. “But we can talk more about that after dinner.” At that they crested a rise between where they arrived and the keep and an immense stone patio came into view. There were multiple lounge areas and fire pits and long tables groaning with food. And what seemed like a crowd of people laughing and talking as he added, “Everyone’s waiting to meet you.”


	4. Two Outta Three Ain't Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawn meets her family

Everyone turned out to be her brothers, their mother and their other father along with her sisters and their mothers. As if having all those names tossed at her weren’t enough her four brothers were two sets of twins. One set was four years older and one was two years younger than her. RJ and Gary were the oldest and since they were over twenty one and had had their godhoods confirmed so there were extra names and affiliations. That was true of everyone over twenty one and Dawn felt her head spin at the introductions and wished she’d brought a notebook.

RJ, the oldest, was Ecne, wisdom and Gary was, Cainte, healing, they were biologically the sons of Laura who was the Morrigan of the Keep’s name and Jeremy who was Aengus, a love god. And he was Jeremy McKenna, a musician and song writer He was a quite famous one at that. Not that he played the type of music Dawn listened to often, she liked more modern or urbans sounds and his work was mostly ballads with a traditional sound.

Her younger brothers were cut from the same cloth as Paul, taller already than their older brothers, blond hair, blue eyes and easy dazzling grins. JT, the younger, was easy going, sunny and unflappable. Paul, not junior the fourth thank you, had a sharper edge to his smile that would probably be terrifying in a few years.

Summer was in the same boat as the younger boys, not knowing what she would get but her mother, Lellie, was Haumea, a fertility goddess. Lellie said she had a vision when her Summer was born she would be Nāmaka, a sea goddess. Dawn’s head was spinning as she wondered if this vision was brought on by excessive dope or because Summer’s parents probably had conceived her on surf boards.

Laura subtly herded the males toward the food before stating she was going to show Dawn inside and get her something to change into more appropriate for the weather. They entered via an opening easily the size of three garage doors. The opening had no visible doors and gave the impression that the spacious outdoor living areas were just an extension of the room. That room which connected to the patio first appeared to be a cool and dark. However, once Dawn’s eyes recovered from being sun blinded from outside it revealed itself to be an open airy commons room seemingly made of stone with ceilings at least two possibly three stories high.

Laura’s light touch on Dawn’s arm steered her across the slate flooring, around heavy furniture and toward the sound of water flowing from a fountain built into the far wall. “I know my boys,” Laura said, “They fill what every space they’re in and push and push until you want to hit them with a rolled up newspaper. May I assume Paul showed up and said, ‘hello, I’m the god of the forge, fire and feasting; let me take your measurements so I can make you a sword’ and then yank you right though the walls between the worlds?”

“We chatted a bit first and he dragged me though the lea lines first and then said, by the way I’m a god,” Dawn said fighting the urge to giggle, “but yeah, you called it.”

Laura chuckled with an earthy quality that shed years of Dawn’s estimate of her age. In the direct sun light with white strips showing in her dark blond hair Dawn had guessed close to sixty but now Dawn thought all the children just made her seem older. As they entered a well-appointed office off the commons room, another attractive older woman, whom Dawn was pretty sure was one of the aboriginal Americans sat behind a delicate feminine desk made of some dark hard wood. The woman dismissed two aboriginal looking or perhaps Mexican, given the location of the Keep, men and smiled in greeting, “Donna, this is Senior Paul’s daughter?”

“Yes, Señora **.** This is Dawn. As you can see he scooped her up with no thought for what side of the equator or time of day she was going to. Dawn, this is Senora Carmen Vasquez. The Senora is the Keep’s seneschal and as such is the person to go to if you ever need anything. Can we find her something more comfortable?”

We turned out to be the Senora. Dawn followed the formable woman up stairs passed one floor which had a gallery going off in both directions lined by a stone bannister overlooking the commons room on one side and evenly spaced dark doors on the other. “The guest floor,” the Senora said with a nod and continued up the stairs. The next floor had a wide open area with lounge area and larger double doors, spaced further apart than the ones on the floor below, on three sides. “The children’s floor,” the senora said with a gesture and lead the way across the sitting area to the last set of doors on the left.

They entered a suite of rooms, the door opened into a sitting room containing a love seat and wing back chair, bookshelves and a writing desk. There were two windows flanking a fire place on the wall directly opposite the door.  A bedroom with a king sized four poster bed was visible off the sitting room. As the Senora crossed into the bedroom and removed a garment from the closet and held it out to Dawn, she said, “These are you rooms, nina. Your bathing chamber is though there if you wish to refresh yourself from your travels.”

“Mine?” Dawn said. “I live on the other side of the world.”

“Yes, Senor Paul is very proud of you. But you will always have a place in the Morrigan’s Keep. You are family,” the Senora said with a mysterious smile.

Dawn quickly slipped into the bathroom and changed into a dusky pink sundress. When she emerged she asked, “You just happened to have a dress in my size, in my favorite color? Is this magic.”

The Senora’s smile transformed from mysterious to one of pure joy and she said, “No dear, your brothers have been stalking you since your parents informed them of your existence. Their exact words were, ‘she’s a girly girl, get her something pink, but she needs to wear shorter skirts and show her legs more’.”

Dawn couldn’t stop her embarrassed giggle or blush but said, “Well thank you, its lovely.” As they left the suite together she asked, “What exactly is a seneschal?”

“I am chief administrative officer of the Keep. There are over 150 employees in addition to The Family.” Dawn could hear the capitalization behind and hoped it didn’t mean that addition to being gods there was some sort of organized criminal activity involved. “I see that they are housed, fed, supplied with what they need to do their jobs. I hire, fire, arranged training, monitor stock piles of food, medical supplies, and weapons,” She said.

“Weapons?” Dawn gasps, wondering just what she had stumbled into, gods was hard enough to believe but weapons really did sound criminal.

“Si nina, your people have guarded the lineas for generations,” The Senora said. “Many a blood battle have been waged to keep this world safe from those who would slide in from other worlds.”

When they rejoined Laura on the ground floor she poured Dawn a glass of white wine. After she thanked her Dawn said, “This has all been a bit overwhelming. I’m not sure I even remember everyone’s name.”

“It will all come with time. You’ll always be welcome and just a phone call away. I know you have your plate full with school but your fathers and I or your brothers will come get you for a weekend or a dinner whatever works for you.”

“Did you say fathers?” Dawn said thoughts derailing yet again.

“Children,” Laura said with an air of quoting a well-rehearsed speech, “are not like record collections. You do not enter into a relationship with yours and mine and then separate them out when it’s over. Children get attached to people who care for them. You may only be dating a man for a year but if you have children and that man is in their lives every day – having him disappear when you break up is the same as if they’ve lost a parent.”

It was so similar to Dawn’s experience with the man she had believed to be her father that she felt tears come to her eyes and took a gulp of her wine to ease the lump in her throat. Dawn then nodded to Laura, and she continued, “Men are important. It’s become fashionable for young women to have babies and raise children without having a man in their life. That’s selfish. Pure and simple. Can a child survive without a father? Yes. It can survive without a mother to, but a good parent wants their children to do more than survive. Your fathers will both try to undo the damage your mother’s ex-husband did to you. They each understand in different ways how a father, whether he sticks around or runs away is the most important man in your life.”

Together with the Senora, they joined the other. She learned her family was loud, musically talented in the all the boys played and sang. Summer had a good voice but was indifferent to performing. They could all eat like they hadn’t seen food in days. Although Dawn couldn’t blame them the food was abundant if unfamiliar she found she liked refried beans and that something called fry bread melted in her mouth. Summer also showed her an app on her phone that gave her the surf reports. Dawn was reassured that it wouldn’t be any trouble to visit as Summer confided she could always count on the boys to come get her; which is why her phone monitored cities all around the world for the best conditions. She said she almost hoped her mum was wrong about which pantheon she’d be chosen for that being a sea goddess would be cool, but follow the waives via the lines on her own would be awesome.

The parents must have been talking about her because almost as soon as Summer went to get them more wine, Jeremy flopped down in her seat. He was very male. She immediately wanted a hole to open up and swallow her. She was sure she was gapping like some star struck teenager. It wasn’t even that he was insanely handsome like her dad, although his body was amazing and she felt a blush heat her face because this was not at all appropriate. He seemed to be completely unaware of the affect he was having on her when he said, “Hey Darlin’ your dad tells me you could see the tracks. Tell me what you saw.”

“Well,” Dawn looked away from him because there was no way she could be coherent and stare at his abs, or shoulders, or god, his arms all barely concealed by a loose tank top. “It was kind of CGI or at least like the stars look in SciFi movies when a ship is moving. Like right next to you they’re a blur but in front or in back they fade back to a stationary object. The metal or metal colored ones were very easy to see, they kind of glowed. Dad followed a pale silver one from back at school to here. There were others that were harder to see. They blended in with the darker parts of the background away from the other,” and here she fumbled for the word. “Some are like ribbons but others are barely threads those are usually dark blue or purple.”

Paul and Laura had walked over and weren’t bothering to conceal their surprise at her description. “Who’s your mother dear?” Laura asked.

Dawn looked at Paul and felt her questioning look transform to ‘really’, managed not to roll her eyes and said, “Mildred Helgavold, nee Connolly.”

“Connolly?” Jeremy said, rolling the name. “She’s from New Zealand?”

“My grandparents too,” Dawn said.

“They alive?” Jeremy asked standing up.

“No. Car crash the year I was born,” Dawn said, not realizing her voice had gone monotone and her eyes had glazed. Standing his abs were at eye level and Dawn felt her hand rise of its own volition. Seeing her fingers reach out toward the bottom of his tank top, she let out an appalled gasp and jerked it back slapping it over her mouth to keep from shrieking. Her words were somewhat muffled by her hand but she said, “I am so sorry that was completely inappropriate I have no idea-“

“No!” Jeremy said, jumping back and holding his hands up and out he continued, “My fault, my fault, I’m sorry that’s never - Jesus. No you’re right, I’m sorry.”

Paul sat down and put an arm around Dawn. Laura put her arms around Jeremy and making soothing noises she said, “Shhh, there now. Not your fault. Not at all. We can fix this don’t worry.”

The Senora handed a young child off to Summer and came over to them. She also stood close to Jeremy and ran her fingers back through his short hair saying, “Hush nino, you did nothing wrong.”

He said something rapid to her in Spanish which caused her to make a dismissive noise from the back of throat and slap him hard on the ass. He jumped and both hands flew back to cover his ass as he stepped back further away from Laura and the Senora.

“That has never happened with any of the kids,” Paul said quietly. “Did it just start?” He asked looking at Dawn.

“I pretty much wanted to jump him the minute he sat down,” Dawn buried her face in both her hands and said, “I don’t do things like that honest.”

Laura laughed out right, and Dawn peeked out between her fingers at her as she said, “If you resisted that long you have a will of iron.”

“But this never happened to any of the kids,” Jeremy said.

“Sweetheart,” Laura said following over to where he’d retreated to, “you were a fixture in all their lives before puberty set in – you’re hopelessly in the class of parent with them. I’m not sure Summer even realizes you're male.

“Thanks,” He said sarcastically but pulled her flush against his side and turned his face into her hair.

The Senora sat down where Jeremy had been, waited for Dawn to lower her hands from covering her face before she gently cupped her check, “Don’t worry, nina, the Donna and I will fix this. When you talk to your friends tell them you’re thinking about getting a tattoo. You decide where you will want it; a protection cygnet should not take much space.”

It was getting late and her Dad would take her home soon, the Signora accompanied her back to her suite. As she was going she felt guilty for overhearing some of the parents’ conversation.

“A mortal should not have reacted like that, if they did I would never be able to go out in public,” Jeremy said.

“She’s not a mortal” Paul started.

“You know what I mean,” Jeremy pressed. “She reacted like a goddess.”

Laura cut in, “mortal or demigoddess she should not have that kind of clarity with the lea lines. Summer can’t see them at all and so far only Paul can see the dark paths.”

“Are you sure her mother was mortal?” Jeremy asked.

Paul hesitated and said, “I thought she was.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy added sardonically, “so’d my old man.”

She didn’t want the Senora think she was eavesdropping, so as they climbing the stairs she asked, “What did he mean? About his father?” Dawn asked.

“Ah nina, for the whole story you must ask Senor Jeremy. But like you he did not know who his real father was. His mother had three children, none had the same father. I met him when he was just a boy. I was a bruja and the local migrant workers brought him in, he was very sick.”

“I don’t understand. Was he working in the fields?” Dawn asked.

“No, but he was very charming. He would play guitar for his supper. He knew the camps could always find a way to feed one more. There was no money in it, but there were no blows or angry words such as were waiting from his mother’s boyfriends back at her trailer.”

As her dad took her home, they both tripped over each other apologizing until they made a pact never to mention it again. He warned her that although the boys had been instructed to call first before popping in, that they may still stalk her until the novelty wore off.


	5. Bat Out Of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> out of Uni, into the real world

Once her family was in her life, Dawn’s years at Uni flew by. Her flatmates, even the ones who replace Marissa and Angie when they graduated, found her both friendly and yet very private. One of the new girls speculated she was having an affair with a married man because she would frequently disappear evenings or weekends. She’d learned to quickly leave the apartment when her brothers called after a roommate was sure she hadn’t left her room when she’d returned hours later by the front door. Right before graduation, she changed her name to Dawn Kelly.

Summer, along with their dad, insisted she learn at least the basics of surfing. They were quite relentless until Dawn confided in the Senora that she had always found the vastness of the ocean slightly terrifying. Paul had looked so disappointed that she didn’t share his love of the ocean that she dove head first into American heavy metal; not the music - muscle cars. She studied until she had an encyclopedic knowledge of the American automotive industry from 1950 to 1975. Ford mustangs, Dodge chargers, roadrunners, GTOs, GTXs, coups to Cobras, torque rich V-8s to high performance cam-shafts. Since all her brothers were what Paul called ‘gearheads’ this gave her a common interest with the boys as well. Dawn would sit on the floor of Paul’s garage, a twelve bay garage which wrapped one side of the keep with enough professional tools to function as a chop shop.

Dawn could barely change oil, but would listen to her dad rhapsodize about previous restorations in loving details regardless of how many years had passed since he slid under the car. It was quite the contrast since he still had trouble remembering her mother’s name. All the children of the people who lived and worked at the Keep learned basic automotive care and repair there and periodically Paul took apprentices from the local college. He would buy near worthless cars from junk yards and breath life back into them as only The Great Smith could.

Jeremy had been the one to check out her mother. And he was able to do it subtly so her mother didn’t know. For which Dawn was deeply grateful since he determined that her mother was a minor goddess and if her reaction to meeting him had been as visceral as Dawn’s had been well she didn’t need that image in her head. Another thing she was grateful for was the glyph, a Celtic knot that extended between her shoulder blades. It wasn’t ink but tiny beads of gemstone and metal. The parents and Senora had combined powers and designed it not only to prevent Dawn from reacting to Jeremy’s natural magnetism but it should block any love god from whamming her and with her permission they had installed a protection against harm. It couldn’t make her invulnerable but should give her some resistance and send a call for help if another god attacked her.

She had become just as close to Jeremy as she was with her dad. All the other kids called him Daddy and Paul Dad and though she did too he felt more like one of the brothers. He was the only one the Senora called, nino, to her nina. It was obvious that the Senora adored all the children of the Keep but all of the other children were very well behaved and a bit in awe around her and she kept them all in line effortlessly. However, she seemed more indulgent and motherly with Dawn as she was with Jeremy and that somehow made Dawn feel more sisterly toward the older man. She could now poke fun at him or sit for hours while he tried to teach her chords. Due to her diligence she could now strum, at a constant rhythm a few songs but would never be able to pluck the beautiful complex accompaniments he could, not if she practiced every day for the rest of her life.

Dawn felt she’d learned more from the Senora than all her business classes combined. The woman was a marvel. From staffing to supply chain management she would let Dawn sit for hours at her elbow in her pretty office and show her what she was doing and then take time to explain why and how doing something different ways would alter the outcome.

Laura, serene hostess, loving mother, indulgent lover of both of Dawn’s fathers, Laura taught her to fight. Apparently she hadn’t been joking when she expected Paul to measure Dawn for a sword at their first meeting. Laura was a firm but unyielding instructor. She started Dawn with learning to fall and quickly moved to unarmed combat and then to wooden practice swords. “Who am I going to fight,” Dawn has asked when she neared the end of her rope. Her body ached in places she didn’t know she had and after three years of this she was possibly in the best shape she’d ever been in.

“Not who dear, what,” Laura had replied calmly. “And you’ll fight whatever you need to. You have an iron will Dawn, that will serve you well. But I never want you to be in a situation where you need to fight and don’t know how.”

So here she was years later in her own tiny flat in a kitschy district of Auckland. All she needed was a job and her life would be everything she dreamed it would be at fifteen and so much more. She felt like Mary Tyler Moore from the Nick at Nite show she and Summer would watch at the Keep. Dawn looked around her tiny flat and hummed the theme song. She had intended to visit her mother for a whole week after graduation but only made it two days that woman’s voice had been getting progressively shrill over the past few years. Now it was bad enough over the phone but all her picking and prodding in person had had Dawn climbing the wall. She had managed to spend girl time with her mother, taking her to lunch and going to a salon for manicures and pedicures together. She did it to both make up for her short visit, and to use her new camera phone, a graduation present, to snap a picture of the knot work on her mother calf. Her mother for some odd reason, despite Dawn repeatedly declaring that she was not moving back home thought she would stay until she found work.

But she was happy; she had her tiny flat and enough money for six months expenses as part of her graduation gifts. Surely by then she’d have a job. She had files on each of the major companies to which she’d applied. She was starting to research some smaller companies. She had spoken with the Senora more and more often as she pursued her degree. They’d discussed the advantages and disadvantages of small verses large companies. Seeing the Keep the way it was today, she knew it was worth every bit of pride that the Senora had in it when she heard the tales of building it and expanding it over the years. In the beginning it had just been Laura bankrolling it, Jeremy designing it, Paul building it and the Senora’s administrative skills. Part of her liked the idea of starting on the ground floor and being a driving force in the growth and success of a company; or of anything really.

Laura had shown Dawn how she had set up revenue streams, for the numerous small corporations she owned and for individual people. Laura unlike Dawn’s fathers had known from the time she was a child that she was destined to be The Morrigan. Her grandmother had been Becuille who in addition to being a goddess was also an oracle.  Both Laura’s parents were demigods and neither her brother nor sister had manifested as a god. Paul had chimed in that while it was all guessing from a very limited data pool as close as they could figure it out it went like this: two gods, always had godly children; a god and a mortal, always a demigod which meant to all appearances the children were 100% mortal, but that the children carried the potential for their children; two demigods, had a fifty/fifty shot at a godly child; a god and a demigod, had a 75% shot at a godly child; while a demigod and a mortal always seemed to have mortal children the data pool was just too small to be sure. And, it remained unsaid; most gods were too selfish to track their non-godly children and grandchildren. Paul’s point that this was all based upon observation was relevant in that it explained how so many demigods and gods remained ignorant of their status.

Like Dawn, Laura had spent her early life focused on education and her twenties, building wealth and investing it. By thirty, she was ready to have children and she went about it the way she handled business, making up a list of what she wanted, and ruthlessly hunting for it. Jeremy consistently missed every bullet point on that list. Laura had wanted a calm, steadfast man of forty or more years settled in his career who was ready to make a lifetime commitment, if not to her to her children. Jeremy was an unemployed twenty three year old musician still riding the high of a godhood which had him ending up in a new bed every night with as many partners as he desired. However, Laura always pointed out that under his perpetual teenaged libido, he was a good man and a great father. Which, she said, were the most important things and something it hadn’t occurred to her to put on her list. They were the only things she’d been looking for when she found Paul.

Whereas Jeremy had stumbled on the Senora, who despite knowing he wasn’t of her pantheon, recognized not only that the boy would be a god, but a major player. Paul had been unaware of his godhood until he met Laura. Dawn had asked how the Senora had known Jeremy was to be a god before he became one and the Senora had calmly replied, “I liked him, nina. I hated all white men and this boy called to my heart.”

“Hated?” Dawn asked, because she couldn’t imagine this impeccably polite lady hating anyone.

“Si, don’t worry, nina,” The Senora offered the same mysterious smile she had the first day they met. “Now I only hate Conquistadors.” Which was when, two years after meeting her she found out that the Senora was Itzpapalotl.

Paul’s parents like Laura’s had both been demigods. Unlike Laura’s though they both resented their status and cut all ties with their families and turned to the church. They both converted to the most restrictive sect they could find that didn’t involve renouncing electricity and flush toilets. It was difficult to imagine Paul in a household that not only banned drugs, alcohol and sex outside of marriage, but also frowned on caffeine, tobacco, sugar, and whatever the pastor of the week considered the trappings of vanity along with all associations with nonmembers. Paul, of course, was out of the house as soon as legally probable. His good looks had garnered him modeling jobs. And he worked just enough to finance his passions; surfing and cars.

So when Paul woke on a beach between two girls after a party he didn’t even know that the day before had been midsummer. In fact it took a week or more and a stranger asking about the tattoo on the inner side of his left ankle for him to notice the small black and silver knot work pattern wrapped around the ball joint. He remembered answering that it must have been a hell of a party, but it had bothered him that he didn’t know when he’d got it or what it meant. He’d kicked around for a couple years, circling the globe with co-eds from many nations. Sometimes modeling, sometimes racing or working as an off the books mechanic he never questioned his ability to fix almost anything or the boundless offers of food and lodging from almost everyone he’d met.

Paul met Laura when he was on a photoshoot; she had bankrolled the photographer’s start up as they were old college friends. Laura had stopped by to visit her friend and her first words to him were ‘oh my god you’re ridiculously good looking’. Later as he was dressing to leave, since she could tell he was a god of some sort she’d ask jokingly if he was the god of ugly shirts. He gave her a blank look so she’d covered by amending that it was that or he had a woman who was dressing him like that so other women wouldn’t sleep with her man. Laura confided to Dawn that at the time she had no intention of perusing a man who was even younger than Jeremy and only wanted to find out how he could give off such powerful vibes and yet have no idea he was a god. So on their first and only official date, after the sky diving but before they ended up having sex on the hood of a sweet dark blue 1966 GTO; he told her about Summer and how being apart from her was heart wrenching but that he thought getting a 9 to 5 away from the racing scene would kill him.

She dragged him home that night and the next day she and Jeremy had taught him to use the lea lines mainly so he could visit his daughter. In those early days none of them had been adept at reading the knot works that appeared to denote the divine designations of the Irish Gods. She ended up having to track down some of her father’s cousins. The three of them were able to find the last remaining brother of her grandfather still alive in a nursing home in Virginia Beach. In the two years before he passed he was able to drawn the knots and write out names for over 150 Irish, Welsh and Saxon gods, explaining that some of the names weren’t even use names but locations as many were so minor they only were only known by a certain hill or battle field.  Until he saw the photo of Paul’s ankle he hadn’t been willing to talk, since most of the people left in his family thought he was crazy. Upon seeing it, he’d instantly recognized Goibniu and said that the smith only appeared when battle was nigh. Since that matched what Laura’s grandmother had told her about the Morrigan, Paul had moved in even before they realized more children were on the way.

So here Dawn was the picture of her mother’s designation on her phone, to be researched when she got to the Keep. All her odds and ends stashed and her place as neat as a pin. Her new, tailored pink suit hanging ready for her very first interview – or rather her first four interviews as they were all scheduled for the same day at 9, 11, 3, and 5. Ready to take the world on with a smile, wondering if she should spend the night in her new flat, in a cold panic about the coming Midsummer event. She was long since over the oddness of Midsummer being in June since she realized her pantheon was from the Norther Hemisphere but she had not reconciled Summer not going through it with her. They were supposed to stand together. Summer had promised to hold her hand when she’d confessed how afraid she was. Now, Summer was already a goddess of the Hawaiian pantheon.

Just a few weeks ago, Gary had pounced on her as soon as she finished her Marketing final and dragged her without so much as a bathing suit to a full blown luau in honor of her sister. Some sort of luminous tides choose the goddesses of the Hawaiian pantheon and Lellie had called it, Summer was according to their oracle was Nāmaka goddess of the sea. So Dawn would be standing alone, Summer would be there of course, they had both turned 21 in May but she would have felt better holding her sisters hand when she got her knot work. Given that her fathers and brothers had probably been drunk when they got theirs and Mum had a freakishly high tolerance for pain, Dawn figured she wasn’t going to sleep until it was over.

Hitting one of the numbers in her family list she heard a yelp and then the sound of the phone bouncing as an answer. More cursing followed and Dawn checked the time, and added five hours which should be the time it was tomorrow there. If Gary, who she’d dialed was at home and not traipsing around the world doing things you didn’t discuss with little sisters. He then groaned into the phone.

“Are you drunk?” she asked. “Because I called for a lift but I don’t want to end up under a glacier or inside a live volcano.”

“I’m not drunk,” He said and then added to someone on his side of the line, “Get off me!”

“Do you need help? I can call RJ or Daddy,” She said.

“No! No, I’m fine. Do you know what time it is?” Gary growled.

“I know it’s 5 in the afternoon in Auckland and 10 at night in California, but seeing as I have no idea where you are, no I do not know what time it is there,” Dawn said. “Never mind, I’ll call Mum.”

“No, I’m coming just give me a sec,” He said and disconnected the call. He appeared moments later talking and doing up his fly. “So are you excited? Not gonna havta wait on a ride much longer.”

“Oh my god, I interrupted sex. I’m so sorry,” Dawn said. She loved her brother but the last few years had been a real education on men, real men verse the standard RomCom version she’d dreamed about as a teenager.

“No problem,” he said smoothing a hand back to settle his hair, “he was getting clingy anyway; I’m just a sucker for an accent.”

“So what time was it?” Dawn asked taking Gary’s hand.

“It was 6 AM thank you very much,” he said as they stepped through the world wall.

When they stepped out again she said, “Oh an Irish boy, they do have dishy accents.”

“So, you never said – you excited, can’t wait ready to breach the walls on you own?” Gary asked, he didn’t release her hand and they swung their linked fingers back and forth between them as they treaded the well-traveled path to the Keep. She had asked once why they didn’t just step into the Keep the way they did other homes and places. That question had led to in depth tutelage in warding and security. She had walked the perimeter individually and in groups with each of the parents and the Senora. RJ had painstakingly gone over how to draw and make glyphs and suggested once she was old enough she should place wards on her home. She had asked if it wouldn’t be better to have someone with more experience or power do it. But he had looked grave and said it was best to always do your own wards, it wasn’t just a matter of trust, but if the person who set them was ever compromised or killed, the wards would fail.

Pulling her mind from her ruminations about wards she answered a bit waspishly, “If by excited you mean paralyzed with abject terror, then yes I’m super excited.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said,

“Didn’t you break your hip playing hockey and finish the game?” Dawn asked as they reached the stones of the patio.

“Yeah. But that’s hockey,” Gary said. He had that puzzled look, as if girls were wonderful and mysterious creatures who should be given whatever they wanted in hopes that they will leave you the hell alone. Come to think of it all her brothers wore that look quite a bit. It might have something to do with being raised around Mum and the Senora.

“And,” She added. “while breaching the walls on my own sounds exciting. Finding my way between one place and another – terrifying.”

“You see the lines better than any of us,” he reassured calmly.

“I can see cars too but if you knew just how many times I’ve roamed around a car park looking for mine – and walking right past it, you would understand,” Dawn said.

“That’s why all your cars should be bright pink,” Gary said.

“Oh look,” She said and pulled up her phone, which yes was pink, and paged to the shot of her mother’s knot work. “This is who my birth mother is. Any ideas?”

Gary scrunched up his face in thought and said, “Not a clue. And we researched a lot before RJ and I stood at Midsummer.”

“Well you wouldn’t have researched the females,” Dawn said.

She was surprised when he accompanied her to the library. It took them two hours to find a match as Clionadh. They had no luck finding out who that was though they only had the name and an inkling that she was so minor there was no information on her. Despite it still being early in Auckland, Dawn bid her brother goodnight and retired to her suite.

She was the first one down to breakfast and was seated shortly after sunrise on the patio with a mimosa and smoked salmon when Jeremy, coming in from the night before joined her. RJ came soon after from the direction of the lea lines groaning for coffee like a zombie for brains and she asked him about Clionadh.

“Queen of banshees! Fucking classic,” RJ said as he refilled his coffee and reached for a plate of bacon. “Let me guess, voice that could shatter glass, doom and gloom and woe is me.”

“So it’s not her fault? She’s like this because some freeloading god is making her miserable?” Dawn said. “That’s so unfair.”

Jeremy who had been yawning into his mimosa said, “No, Darlin’ it don’t work that way. We’re us; and they’re them. They could have stayed where and how they were. But they chose to come closer to their followers, to be their followers. We essentially are a gift to the gods. Though us they experience life, love, loss we give them the ability to understand, perceived and experience things that they just couldn’t as gods.”

“Dad said something, when he first told me about,” and she stopped to gesture back at the Keep, “all this. He said he was the ‘vacation destination of a God’.”

“It’s not always obvious, but if you look you can usually find something in our lives that was missing in theirs,” Jeremy said. “A goddess who miscarried or had her children murdered gets to be a mother. A god who had lots of responsibility, gets to play; or one that was on the bottom of the social structure is wildly successful, the lame or homely are handsome, the lonely ones score in the sack or have a happy marriage – we give them things they couldn’t have in their old lives.”

“So what do I have worth giving some goddess,” Dawn said.

“Everything, anything,” RJ volunteered.

“Darlin’ just be happy, whatever makes you happy will be what your goddess needs,” Jeremy said.

Four days later on Midsummer, Dawn watched the sky painted with deep purple with a shimmering humming curtain similar to the borealis. When the lights stopped a clear chime echoed and what had once appeared to be a normal starry sky suddenly had thousands, millions more stars, they were so many it was as bright as day and the stars seemed so close she almost reached for them. And then everything was quiet and she had a new knot work on her inner left ankle the same place as her dad.

They had all hit the library together and a shout went up as RJ was the one to find it. She was Boann. She was a river goddess and may have been a cow, which was not very helpful. The notes on her were sketchy as she seemed minor. No notion of any sort of powers and although she would now be able to open the walls between the world to access the lea lines, she thought it would be quite some time before she felt up to doing it solo. Ironically her goddess was the mother of Jeremy’s god. She just hoped her goddess was ready to start interviewing.


	6. Paradise by the Dashboard Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders. Anders. Anders.

Dawn had been actively interviewing for six weeks. It was worse than dating. At least when you went on a date men - most men - realized there was some form of reciprocity involved. There was an ‘I like you, do you like me’ aspect that was understood. Even the smaller firms she’d started to interview with treated it like some sort of game of sports in the park where everyone applying for the job was in a ‘pick me, pick me’ mode. Well she didn’t want them to pick her if they were bad choices for her, but every time she asked about their goals and methods of operation they acted like she had no right to know.

She’d learned many lessons in regard interviewing in real life verses the advice from books and the internet. She no longer scheduled more than two interviews a days. Because, just because she was professional and showed up on time, it rarely meant that the person she was meeting with would be. She thought it was a stupid way to exert authority and just made the person doing it look like they were overcompensating. She had already ruled out Gunderson Insurance because the owner was a pompous ass who had focused more on her legs and cleavage than her CV or education. 

After that she never wore her hair loose and had gone shopping for higher cut blouses. She was thinking of getting her hair cut, something more trendy and professional. But her sister Ocean loved braiding it and when they spent time together they would both wear their hair in pigtails. Now that Ocean wasn’t a baby they’d become fast friends. Ocean was a demigoddess and looked far more like Summer but since Dawn wasn’t being pulled away by the lure of the surf they did girly things like tea parties together. She spent a lot of time with her sisters, now that she could travel by herself, but she still only felt comfortable going to the Keep or the Cloud House compound where Summer’s family lived.

She was back to wearing her pink suit and had pulled her hair back in a simple chignon. She had a beige kidskin portfolio with a matte silver clasp. It contained copies of her cv, her research notes on this company and she was currently jotting down her impression not that she felt her memory would need refreshing. She had already decided JPR was a no go. All her personal notes were in short hand, the Senora had taught her and it was fast, efficient and gave her a personal code that most people in this day and age didn’t have a hope of breaking.

Her appointment had been for two o’clock, she had arrived ten minutes early only to wait with the one o’clock candidate until two thirty, when that woman had left in disgust. It was rather obvious from the sounds just what was causing the previous interview to go over. She had already made a list of what was wrong with the company, it started with the location, which was away from where the targeted clients would be. The office was a disaster, the waiting area was dark and pokey, very unwelcoming, having the currently empty reception desk positioned where it was would be off putting or more off putting to any clients they managed to lure in. The closed doors of what must be an office and maybe either another office or a conference room gave the impression that the firm was pressed for space and money.

And then there was Anders Johnson. Since it was his company and he was who her interview was scheduled with he had to be the randy knob having sex in the office. If the location and the actual building weren’t bad enough to make any potential client think this was a front for some fly by night scam, the lack of even token professionalism on his part would drive anyone stupid enough to wander in far, far away.

Updating her notes, Dawn closed her portfolio, and snapped the lock closed. The only reason she hadn’t stalked out like the one o’clock had, was she had never been a no show for a meeting and this was the first contact she had received from her first choice placement agency and she did not want them thinking she was unreliable. Although she was tempted to just lambast him or given that his waiting area seemed filled with dated gossip rags, roll one up and beat him over the head like he was one of her brothers.

The door to his office opened and a rather short, admittedly very attractive man escorted a much disheveled, busty young woman who had light brown hair with chunky ash highlights the few steps from his office to the door out of reception. He thanked the young woman for her time and said someone would be calling her. Another reason to avoid this place like the plague, whoever he hired would undoubtedly be calling all the candidates he got his end away with to tell them that they weren’t hired. Dawn leveled her most unimpressed look at him as he turned back toward her. It was the one she perfected when she was fifteen.

“Donna?” Mr. Johnson said and extended his hand.

“Dawn,” she said standing. She did not shake his hand; she had an idea where it had been. “Perhaps Donna was your one o’clock, she left. Rather, I might think, like any potential client you might acquire would if they were subjected to the multiple sensory experiences which this ill-conceived reception area offers.

“You’re really not trying to get this job,” he said, having the nerve to sound surprised

“I’m really not,” Dawn said, and smirked. “And you Anders Johnson are really not interested in the PR business. If all you wanted to do was get your end away with models, you should have become a photographer. It’s much easier to fake. No one with an ounce common sense would believe this is a legitimate business. You lack any sense of professional decorum and – put your hand down; I’m not shaking it until you wash it with hot soapy water. Apparently in addition to lacking common sense also you lack a nodding acquaintance with personal hygiene.”

Anders laughed and said, “Did it ever occur to you you’re just too uptight.”

“Mr. Johnson I have four brother, they compete in just how gross they can be, belching, farting, you name it. If any one of them threatened to touch me while covered in the bodily fluids of some slag they’d just banged in the next room I would beat them with a rolled up newspaper.” Dawn said, and then let her eyes cut rather obviously to the gossip rags on the end table.

Lowering his hand Anders stepped into her personal space and said, “Dawn, I want you to listen to me –“

His word became softer, coaxing and Dawn felt her eye lids start to close. She jerked her head as if she had nodded off and saw Mr. Johnson looking at her with some concern. “I’m sorry,” she said. “What did you just say?”

“I said,” and his voice once again took on the low coaxing sound, “I want you to come in early on Monday to start looking for the new offices. I really like your ideas. I think you’re going to be an asset to the company. You’re obviously needed here. This is going to be a good fit for you.”

Later that night she read her notes three times. And then she paced back and forth across the tiny sitting room of her flat until she stopped and said, “What the actual hell?”

Grabbing her notes, but leaving her purse and keys, she literally charge though the world walls and came out at the Keep at a sprint. She was looking for the first parent she could find. Glancing at the flag poles, she saw Mum’s flag was not flying but that the fathers were here. As she crested the rise she saw Jeremy and the Senora along with the Senora’s grown granddaughter Sonia. There was a bottle of tequila and shot glasses so they may have been preparing to toast the sunset.

“I have no idea what happened,” she said by way of greeting. “I don’t know how, but I start Monday at a firm that by my notes I would hold up as an example of how to fail in the PR business.”

She handed her notes to the Senora and sat next to Jeremy, “I have no memory of him offering the job or of me accepting it. I think I even gave him a piece of my mind. We never went in his office. I just went off on him in the reception area.”

Jeremy looked concerned and asked, “Are you missing any time.”

She hadn’t even thought to check, she must have looked horrified. She said, “I - I don’t know.” As soon as she saw the grim, murderous look cross Jeremy face she added, “But the glyph didn’t burn, if it was an attack it would have, right?”

“Are you okay for me to check you, Chica,” Sonia said. Dawn nodded and Sonia stood and came over. She held her hand over Dawn’s head and then moved it down her body, hovering a few inches away following the front of her body, stopping at her vagina. “Why have you not had sex in so long? This is not healthy.”

Despite being mortified that Sonia had shared that, Dawn was relieve to know she hadn’t been raped. “Thank you. For checking and for your professional opinion,” Dawn said, trying to keep a sarcastic tone out of her voice, “I’ve just been really busy and I haven’t had a chance to meet many people in the city yet.”

“You want me to take care of this guy,” Jeremy asked.

“Not if it’s going to involve a sword and an entrenching tool,” Dawn said. “I just. Is he a god, or a witch or some creepy thing that came off the lea lines and possessed some human?”

“Good questions,” Jeremy said.

“You really don’t like him, Nina,” the Senora said looking up from her notes. “You say here you would not work there even if it meant you would have to move back with your mother.”

“I know, that’s what has me so freaked out, I distinctly remember that I refused to even shake his hand,” Dawn said. “And yet I know I have to get in early Monday, to find new office space among other things.”

“Why would you not shake his hand?” Sonia asked.

“Because, based upon the sound and the aroma he reeked of when he came out of his office with his previous interviewee I knew exactly where it had been,” Dawn said.

“I’ll start looking into it, but unless I tell you otherwise, start Monday and I’ll come take you to lunch,” Jeremy said.

“You can always quit later that day.” The Senora said, “But I too, would like to know what and who this man is.”

Monday morning found Dawn waiting outside the locked offices. She had arrived ten minutes early and he was already a half hour late. She had, over the weekend, wandered around the ideal area of town for an up and coming boutique PR firm. And then made wider and wider circuits, of adjacent areas. She had in her ever present lists, three top choices and then ranked several more accordingly. She had looked up information online pertaining to who the leasing offices were, and as much about the rents and contract terms as she could find. She’d set up two appointments for the same listing agent to show her fourth and fifth choice property her first and third had been outrageously overpriced regardless of the locations and her second choice had wanted to know her budge before they would agree to show. Until she confirmed with her new and most likely temporary boss she couldn’t say.

If he didn’t show in the next ten minutes she was walking; possibly straight to Palm Springs and a spa day with Sonia. Finally Anders Johnson emerged from the awkwardly placed stairwell, looking surprisingly good. He did know how to dress both for success and to flatter his height and body type. Ironically, it didn’t appear to be the walk of shame Dawn had been anticipating.

“Good morning, Dawn,” He greeted her.

“Is it still morning, Mr. Johnson?” Dawn replied, coolly. “Perhaps you should have mentioned I would be conducting your business in the hallway.

Anders opened the door and gestured for her to enter. She picked up the satchel she’d put on the floor while she had made phone calls from her mobile and moved it to the clunky desk in the small reception area. “I’ve set up a meeting with a listing agent this afternoon to see two properties so far, Mr. Johnson. There’s one more I’d like to schedule today, as well, but I’ll need to see your budget.”

“Dawn, forget this Mr. Johnson nonsense, call me Anders,” He said breezing past into his office/shagging space. “I need you to contact the rest of the candidates and let them know their services will no longer be required. And send flowers to that girly before you in line,” Anders said. “But before that, let’s have some coffee.”

“Anders,” She said bringing a steno pad with her into his office, looking around and wrinkling her nose. “I want you to get me your records. Now. Show me the paperwork legitimatizing this company, any insurance, contracts, rental agreements and the cash flow and budget for the last year. I have already contacted the agency and informed them of your decision. I also advised them you may require their services again shortly.”

“Why would you do that?” He asked spinning in his chair behind his suspiciously clear desk.

“Because I don’t anticipate working for you very long,” Dawn tried to give him a reasonable smile that didn’t telegraph that she though he was brat that needed to be turned over someone’s knee and given a spanking. The perv would probably like it. “And because I’m about to tell you to get you own damn coffee. And while I am willing to build an infrastructure for your business and even set up a performance plan I will not be acting as your wingman, track down your own conquests. Now are we expecting any clients today? Does anything need to be rescheduled so we can meet the property agent at two? And is there somewhere I can review those records – which you will be getting for me - that is less public than the reception area?”

“I’m not expecting anyone but you never can tell.” He said, looking nonplus. He sounded put out when he said, “Suppose you just want to use my office.”

“Not unless it’s been steam cleaned or you’re providing a HazMat suit,” she said. “What’s behind the other door?”

It was a small room or a large closet; it had no window, a file cabinet and a card table and folding chair. Dawn suggested, pointedly, that Anders watch the reception desk while she pulled her laptop out of her satchel and got to work. Anders made it almost forty minutes before popping his head in and saying, “About that coffee?”

“Heavy on cream, light on sugar,” she said without looking up from the spread sheet she was working on, “Leave the door open I can keep an eye on reception while you’re out.”

“Just who is working for whom here,” he asked.

“I think that the question, Anders, is just who is working here,” Dawn glanced up at him and added. “Make sure you’re back before noon. Daddy’s picking me up for lunch and he wants to meet you.”

“Why would he do that?” Anders asked hesitantly.

“Well he was wondering why I was working for you, and for the life of me, I couldn’t give him one good reason,” Dawn said imitating The Senora’s smile. “So he’s stopping by to find out for himself.


	7. The chilly California wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the beginning of a strangely beautiful relationship

Dawn quit once a day for the first two weeks she worked for Anders. Jeremy, after meeting Anders, had pronounced him harmless. He said Anders wasn’t capable of making her do anything she didn’t want to; but that he could make her reconsider the advisability of doing things she wanted to do, but knew she shouldn’t. Dawn had had to have a long hard think about just where her feelings on rooting Anders into unconsciousness would fall within that scope. She decided if he ever did it talk her into ill-conceived sex she would break his jaw. Maybe having it wired shut for a while would make him think about using whatever the hell it was he had; at least on her. And then, she amended that resolution to if she could work with him for ten years she would revisit the decision because if she wasn’t married by then, she had to admit he would make beautiful babies; even if he obviously wasn’t part of the Irish pantheon. Anders, for the first day or so after meeting Jeremy, had given her the side-eye like he was trying to figure her out. After that they settled into a mutual state of ‘if you don’t ask me, I won’t ask you’.

After the first two weeks she only quit twice a week. Either she was getting used to Anders; or their new offices gave her enough space to keep her cool. The new office was her second choice. Slightly more expensive and larger then they needed but after going over the books and examining the market Dawn had decided that since they were either going to succeed or fail spectacularly that their best chance of success would be in that location. Also if they did succeed which her five year plan showed they currently had a 65% chance of doing, they would suffer a setback if they had to break a lease or relocate due to needing more space.

It had been frustrating trying to convince Anders of this. Despite her supplying hard data, two separate power point presentation showing him exactly why they needed the larger offices, and gave him a projection of how to make it work he had balked to the point of using that persuasive thing he had and getting her to agree to an office half the size in the same building.

She came in the next morning, after calling the listing agent and changing back to her original office choice, thank god for her notes; and assaulted Anders with a rolled up magazine for the first time. She was pretty sure it wouldn’t be the last unless she managed to make her next quitting stick

“Don’t you ever, ever, ever do that again,” She said while slapping him around the  shoulders with the latest edition of Vogue.

“Shit! Dawn,” he yelped, ducking away and circling to keep the desk between them. “I’m not a dog.”

“Yes. Yes, you are Anders,” She said. “If you disagree with me you, you use words or facts or hard data. You do not use… that,” and she pause and waving the magazine in frustration, because she was not going to reference his godhood, the whole don’t ask/don’t tell thing was working and she didn’t want to open up that whole mess. So finally she bit out, “Blarney! Don’t use your blarney on me, you scoundrel.”

“I just can’t afford it -” He started holding his hands in front of him to ward off another blow.

She dropped the magazine on the desk and leaned against it with a sigh, and said, “Is it you’ve completely disregarding all the information I provided; or did you not...” and she trailed off thinking ‘understand’, and maybe that was it, he didn’t know how to interpret the data.

Looking at him, when he wasn’t making idiotic requests or strutting around like a bandy cock he really was of an age with her brothers. RJ had an internship at The Library of Congress while he was working on his doctorate but he was just as much a player as Gary. Both of them were still riding high on the fact that the lea lines let them globe trot without long flights or the need to get hotel rooms. Using them as a template, Anders couldn’t be more than twenty five or twenty six. From the records she’d examined he’d been keeping himself afloat as the owner/operator for four years, which meant he’d been about her age when he started.

He’d never had The Senora to learn from so had made too many rookie mistakes to count. He didn’t separate personal and business expenses. He’d gone through two administrators, one because he fucked her and one because he didn’t. She wasn’t even sure what his education had been, given all the questions she normally asked at an interview had been swept away by his super power. So far he’d been muddling along on good looks and charm but when she’d started the firm had had only four accounts.

“Anders, you hired me for a reason,” she said. “A reason beside the fact you had made a mess and wanted someone else to clean it up.” Dawn took a deep breath and made an effort to be truthful. She’d noticed he had a sixth sense about when he was being conned, and thought it might tie into his gift of gab. “I am confident enough in my research and business plan to offer you a deal.” His intelligent eyes immediately became suspicious and she wondered just who had screwed him over so badly that he was expecting a slap in the face instead of a hand up. “If after one year, despite the new office, we are not breaking even, I’ll buy you out-”

“Where the hell would you get that kind of capital,” He asked.

“I’d borrow it from my mum, she knows I’m a good investment,” Dawn said lifting her chin, slightly insulted that he wasn’t recognizing her business acumen. “And if we are successful,” She continued from where he interrupted, “You make me a partner.”

“Like hell,” He started.

But she cut him off, “in the meantime, you will start paying yourself a salary, and living within your means.” She said.

Anders balked, threw his hands in the air and said, “Now just wait a minute, this is my business. I built this-“

“And you’re crashing it, Anders.” Dawn interrupted. “God knows you have ‘talent’,” she said with an emphasis on his power. “But that blarney thing of yours will only get you so far. You’re not selling watches on a street corner. You’re selling a service. You close enough deals to keep this place in business, but you lack follow though. The ‘product’ is not being delivered. This means you not only lose sales you’ve already made, but you’re sabotage your reputation to the point you can’t even get them on the phone to pitch future sales.”

Anders blew out his breath ran his hand back though his hair and gave Dawn a contemplative look as if it just occurred to him she might have been the one manipulating him from their first meeting. “Stop that,” she said, “it’s not as if I’m trying to compromise your virtue,” which got her a snort of a laugh from Anders. “And about your non-existent virtue, stop fucking the clients, the client’s wives, their daughter, hell, put their sons off limits too. You want to get laid, go to a bar like the rest of the world.”

That actually got her a full out laugh and he squinted up at her as he finally circled back to his desk and sat while she perched on the corner. He glanced up at her and said, “One year?” at her nod he added, “And I give you 10%-“

“Fifty/Fifty you - ”  Dawn squawked.

Ander spun his chair and waived his arms widely, “Are you out of your mind, maybe 15%

Dawn stood at full height, crossed her arms and tried to channel Laura at sword practice,” Sixty/Forty and two extra paid weeks holiday – most of my family lives on the other side of the planet, it’s not like I can pop round for coffee.” Well she could but she wasn’t telling him that.

It went on for another twenty minutes, it ended up being a 70/30 split and one week extra paid holiday. Which, considering she had been prepared to settle for twenty percent was amazing. In addition, he promised that for the first year he would check his schedule and keep preset appointments, He also promised never, Dawn had her doubts about his ability to keep this one, ever to sexile her or their clients or potential future staff from the offices.  He seemed both amused and relieved that she was adding details like that to their deal.

He then sheepishly asked her to contact the leasing agent. She magnanimously did not inform him that she already had and diverted his attention by letting him think he was approving the design for some 4 by 6 calling cards she was going to have him hand deliverer to local businesses once they were fully moved into their new office. On them in addition to the company log, Anders’ name and their contact information was information informing the recipients that they would be hosting several events every month. The first Wednesday of every month would be cocktails from 5 to 6 for local business owners, the second Thursday from 5 to 7 was wine and cheese for women in business – and no Anders was not permitted to attend, the third Monday of each month would be a coffee break for local administrative staff from 10 to 11. When he balked at the expense she resisted the urge to pull up pie charts and demographics and instead said, “This is why you hired me, I’ve already built this into the budget. This is not a good will offering Anders. These are decision makers, potential clients and the customers for our future clients. This is one of those things that I know, you have to trust me.”

In the future she would often wonder if phrasing it like that had lead Anders to believe that the knowledge she’d studied so diligently for was something she’d stumbled on just like his persuasive abilities.


	8. He was starting to foam in the heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after Ty's twenty first

The new office was working better than Dawn’s wildest dream. It was the entire top floor of the building. The elevator and stairway let out into a reception area in the wide short area like the bottom of a T. The elevator shaft and stair way took up space in the bottom two corners but there was a wide window facing the street between those areas and a skylight that flooded the reception area with light. The prongs of the T on this open concept floor jutted out from and open area containing a glass conference table, a pull down screen for presentations and stackable modular chairs for larger gatherings. Each end of the two prongs of the top of the T had its own window and provided nice cross ventilation. To the right was Anders desk along with a lounge area which included a wet bar and more relaxed seating, which had prompted Dawn’s warnings that that the settee had better be presentable and client ready at all times. There was a room divider currently folded against one wall and Dawn shuddered to think just what Anders planned for it.

Dawn had a desk on the other prong of the T. It also had a storage closet that extended back to the wall of the stairwell and the entrance to a good size powder room. She put a long low file cabinet and upright wardrobe in the closet to hang coats out of sight it also had a false back so she could keep one of her swords at the office. If a call came to come help any family she could respond without stopping at her flat, where she keep the rest of the weapons that her father was always gifting her.

The new offices had been ideal for the ‘relaunch’ plan Dawn had implemented when they changed location. She’d been able to utilize the fact that J:PR was an established firm with years of proven service, not some fly-by-night startup company and still get the buzz of just moved into the neighborhood. The events they hosted had garnered J:PR dozens of small accounts, but those accounts paid the bills and generated positive reviews and word of mouth. They already had secured the account of the printer they used most often, the messenger service and the firm where they rented their office furnishings and equipment, building deep discounts both ways in their contracts. It had impressed Anders and he had really shown at the neighborhood meet and greets.

She spent most of her days in reception area but she liked having a desk in the back that she could spread work out on for the day. Six months in and if they continued to do as well she was hoping they could expand the staff. She was keeping her eyes open at the numerous networking events she attended. Ideally she hoped to find a man – which would hopefully keep Anders from plowing him – fifty or older, someone with people skills, maybe even a retiree who could expand the demographic of what the firm represented and offer life experience to offset her book learning and Anders’ street smarts.

Although at the moment those street smarts were not serving him well. He was late. Which, despite the freakishly grueling lifestyle he worked to support; was not at all like him. Also, when she had called him a half an hour ago the call had rolled to voice mail. The man answered his phone during sex, much to her repeated and vocal displeasure, so the lack of answer and lack of call back was troubling. He had bowed out of the monthly cocktails for business owners last night and although he didn’t admit it she knew he enjoyed being one of the community leaders. If she thought he could keep it in his pants, she’d suggest he run for public office. Last night, though, had been his younger brother’s birthday and Dawn had no trouble attending in his stead. And she had even poked fun at him saying with the way business was going she would be a part owner soon.

Dawn signed for a delivery, thanked the messenger and sat at the reception desk to review the just delivered contracts and make sure they were signed in all the right places. She was so engrossed she didn’t even notice the lift arrive until the door opened. She looked up to see Anders slouch off the lift. She dropped the contract and felt her hand rise to hold back a gasp. He’d been in a fight, or beaten. He had a black eye and split lip. She rose and despite his waving her off followed him back to his area of the office to get him ice from the wet bar. “Oh, Anders. My God. Were you mugged? You should see someone. Have you been to the hospital?”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Anders said. “Party just got a little out of hand.”

She hovered, waiting until he took the ice she had slipped in a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. “Well,” she said reluctantly, willing to let him be a man about the injuries if that’s what he needed. “I hope the other guy looks worse.”

“Mikkel always looks worse than me, even if I have been punched in the face,” he said, ruefully.

“That’s your brother, right? Do you mean your brother did this?” Dawn was incredulous. This didn’t look like roughhousing that got out of hand. He’d done this deliberately. The eye and lip meant he’d thrown at least two separate punches. She’d caught Gary once in the junk when they were fighting over the television remote and even then he hadn’t hit her. He’d said it was his fault for not wearing a cup when he picked on her. And, even though it had been unintentional she’d followed him around for days apologizing. Where was this crappy brother of his? “I don’t think I like your brother,” Dawn said in a flat emotionless voice.

Anders looked incredulous at her. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out a breath. He looked like he was going to say something stupid so she said, “I’ll call Tom from ‘Petal to the Metal’ and let him know you were in a fender bender and I’ll take the meeting. Go home Anders, you’ll just frighten the clients.”

“I just have a couple calls to make,” he said. “Then I’ll get out of your hair.”

Dawn went back to reception and gathered up the contract. She then quietly called Gary. “Am I interrupting sex again?” She said by way of greeting. When he laugh and said no she asked, “You want to go to lunch or food if you’re not in a lunch timeframe?” Then she added, “Maybe you could pick me up at my office, meet Anders. Shake his hand, hard,” she said with emphasis, “and do the protective brother thing?”

Dawn filed the contract, called two clients and by the time she went back into storage to get her coat, Gary came up the stairs and swaggered into the office.

“Anders, this is my brother Gary he had a layover and made time to stop by,” Dawn said. She remembered how confused her college friends had been by how frequently her brothers seemed to pop over when they were supposed to be at the very least on the South Island.

“You look like your father,” Anders said, eyeing his upper body instead of his face. Gary was two or three inches taller than Anders and was eyeing Anders in a completely different way.

“Oddly enough more people tell me I look like by brother,” Gary said holding Anders hand a bit longer. Dawn watched as the ugly blood smear left Anders’ eyeball and the swelling around the eye reduced some. The bruise on his jaw traveled from a swollen blue to a faded yellow gray. It wasn’t healed completely, that would have been too obvious, but it looked about a week old.

“Never met him,” Anders said looking uncomfortable and when Gary finally released his hand Dawn knew she was going to get grilled about if her brother was a poof the next time there was not a larger man who could hit him around.

“Ta Anders, lock up when you leave, I have my keys,” Dawn said, tugging Gary out by his arm and maintain her grip on his bicep as they walked down the stairs and out onto the street.

“You never mentioned he was a looker,” Gary said.

“No! No, you may not bang my boss,” Dawn said.

He laughed. “So you didn’t invite me over to hook me up?”

“His brother did that,” Dawn said, feeling a lump rise in the back of her throat. She was determined not to tear up. Summer wasn’t a crier, being a bit of a tomboy, and Dawn had been a startling new element to her brothers. She teared up at commercials. She’d been stunned to find her brothers panicked at tears and attempted to solve problems or offer tribute to placate crying females. “No wonder this is the first time he’s done anything with family since I started - If they beat each other.”

“He’s” Gary started, looked around the bustling street as they headed toward a local café, “he’s like us, right.”

“Daddy said probably Norse,” She murmured as she passed while he held the door.

Gary rolled his eyes letting her know exactly what he thought of that pantheon. “Met one of them, sea god – useless old tosser; stirred up lots of trouble amoung the locals in Haiti, had some sort of ability, like your man, to tell tales and manipulate but it all churned up and turned to a bloodbath after he got gone.”

“None of the other pantheons ever seem to say anything nice about them,” Dawn offered quietly as they perused the menus.

Once the waiter had taken their orders and left them with something to drink, Gary asked. “What do you know about his family? I hear his kind don’t really family well.”

“Not much. It’s been over six months and he’s had lunch with the brother whose birthday it was, Tray or something, twice. He has three brothers all living here is Auckland and they never call, never stop by, I see more of Summer and she can’t just walk over herself,” Dawn said.

“Parents?” Gary asked.

“I think his mum had some sort of breakdown. She shot off when he was around sixteen. I gather his dad had done a runner long before that. Since his youngest brother would have been about six when the mother disappeared I assume the father was around at least until Anders was ten, unless,” she said giving Gary a look and adding, “unless there’s more than one dad for the four of them, you know even if the parents were the marrying kind that happens.”

“Think they’re all,” and as the waiter brought their sandwiches Gary finished the thought with a vaguely obscene hand gesture.

Once the waiter left again Dawn asked, “Was that to supposed to mean; are they all gods, or are they all sluts? Because never having met any of them your guess is as good as mind. And let me reiterate, no you may not bang my boss.”

“But his brothers are still on the table?” Gary asked.

“Well, I suppose if you can talk them into it, keep in mind one is still about thirteen.” Dawn said.

“That young? Think they just fell though the net with social services?” Gary asked. “Sounds like they might have had it as bad as Daddy.”

“Anders if fairly normal. I mean he is a confirmed man whore - but what young attractive god isn’t?” She said. And then started prodding her brother on just what he’d been up to when she called.

Back at the office, Ander finished up his phone calls and packed up his laptop. He took the towel wrapped ice pack into the restroom to empty the melted ice from the plastic bag. Dawn had given him more sympathy for his injury than anyone. He glanced up at the mirror and started. His eyeball had looked ready to explode that morning; he had almost gone to the emergency care. Now the white was clear and healthy looking and the puffy bruised skin had reduced to a mild discoloration.

Dawn’s brother, he thought. He had never met another god other than family. But Dawn’s father had had a presence to him that nearly knocked him on his ass. It had scared him juiceless the day he met him and then he’d put it out of his mind. Dawn was just so, Dawn. She dressed like a plain girl, and although she had added bangs she still wore her hair pulled back low on her neck with minimum fuss. Her makeup was natural looking and her jewelry quality but simple. In short she faded, almost intentionally into the background. Quietly, efficiently she organized the world around her.

It should have made him insane - trapped, and managed. And he had fought her tooth and nail in the beginning. But she had this way of stopping him and making him think. She would stop right in the middle of one of her bossy school teacher lectures and say, ‘I’m sorry, was I mistaken that you wanted to do x y and z? Oh, you do want that. Good. Because I’m telling you what to do to get x y and z and if you have changed your mind tell me because my time is valuable.’

He though her putting him on an allowance, as he called it, would drive him crazy. He found however that as she pointed out he did need to pay himself first so that his basic expenses were taken care of. He didn’t miss scrambling to make rent. And he never mentioned to her the number of times in the past he’d done without something because the business didn’t have the funds to cover things. Things that would have been covered if he’d put in as many hours working for someone else. She knew he was sure she knew. Either by using that gift that seemed to let her know everything or she had figured it out when she examined all his business and personal records with a magnifying glass.

She even separated the clients into the real clients who had growth and potential as an ongoing revenue stream from what she called recreational clients. When he’d pointed out the term on a spreadsheet she’d given him a puzzled look as if she assumed he knew. “They’re the fun clients Anders, the ones likely to get you, or create situations for you, to get laid. That is why you went into marketing isn’t it?” She’d said as if every company had that in their operating plan.

“And, you put that on a spreadsheet?” He asked.

Dawn replied, unflappably, “It’s in our mission statement. J:PR will strive to create, grow and maintain an intuitive, topical and influential presence in the business community of Auckland, specifically, and New Zealand, as a whole, while positively influencing the community’s ethics, our clients’ bottom lines and Anders Johnson’s opportunities to bang beautiful young women.” She smiled and added, “I considered putting it on a plaque but it would probably be inappropriate to hang in the office.”

As Anders locked up and left he thought he might want that on a plaque. He checked his phone and called and left a voice mail for Olaf. If he could get in touch with him before he left town, maybe he could see what his grandfather knew about goddesses.


	9. Wherever you are and wherever you go there’s always going to be some light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders, Olaf, Ty

Back at his flat, Anders pulled a couple steaks out of the fridge and left them on the counter to warm up and then put on some music and wandered into his bathroom to check his eye again. He poked the skin around it, relieved to feel it was much better than this morning. His phone rang and the caller id showed it was Olaf.

“Still in town?” Anders said by way of greeting.

Olaf’s voice was hard to hear over the sound of wind, it sounded like he was driving with the window down. “Was heading out, got the feeling Val’d had enough of me.”

“Yeah, if she could just get rid of you, Ty and Axl; Mike could devote all his time to her and Coma Rob,” Anders said. “Swing by for a drink, I have some questions for you, you can crash on my couch if you want.”

“What kind of questions?” Olaf asked.

“Don’t be so suspicious,” Anders said and ended the call.

Anders headed back to his kitchen. Returning to the fridge he pulled out a couple sticks of butter and a half full one pound container of grated parmigiana cheese and some prepackaged linguini noodles. He filled a large pot with water and put it on high to heat. The butter went into a tiny sauce pan close to that pot, he just needed to soften it not clarify it. And then he checked his freezer and pulled out a bottle of vodka and one of those steams in the bag vegetable medleys.

It was late for lunch and early for dinner but he wasn’t going to start drinking with Olaf on an empty stomach and he hadn’t been hungry that morning when his face hurt. He poured himself a finger of cold liquor and turned on the broiler to heat. The steaks would only take about three minutes a side since Olaf liked them rare and he was reading the directions on the vegetable bag when the door buzzer sounded. He walked over to door and buzzed him in and since his grandfather’s long strides would have him at his door in moments opened the door to let him in.

Even though they’d just seen each other last night Olaf greeted him with a hug, probably because he saw the food. Anders led the way to the kitchen and poured Olaf a drink. Now that the water was boiling he tossed the noodles in. Opening the oven and using a potholder, he removed the tray he normally cooked steak on, it was about all he used his oven for, and lay each fillet on the wire grill suspend above the sheet to catch the blood and grease. Placing them under to broiler he set a timer for three minutes. And then put the vegetables in the microwave and set it for seven minutes.

Tuning to Olaf and lifting his glass Anders said, “Yea, Hod.”

“That’s a burden your brother didn’t need,” Olaf offered. “Never really met a happy Hod.”

“Should he really be alone now?” Anders asked.

“He’s been on his own since he was eighteen, Anders.” Olaf said.

Anders made a rude noise, turned to check the noodles, belatedly salted the water and peeked at the steaks before saying, “He’s been on his own since fourteen, don’t buy in to that bull shit that Val was some benevolent mother figure. And, being on his own was a step up from the head games that leaned more toward abuse then neglect that mom used run on him.

“I never understood what it was between you and your mother,” Olaf said, refilling his glass.

The timer rang and Anders used tongs to flip the steaks, reset the timer and while refilling his own glass said, “There were many things in that house you remained blissfully unaware of, just be thankful for ignorance. It’s in the past, nothing to be done about it now, that’s for sure.” He trailed off, looking wistful and the timer on the microwave beeped. “It’s just, in many ways, Ty’s the best of us, you know. Of all of us, he didn’t deserve this.”

“Do you boys see much of each other?” Olaf asked.

Anders shrugged, “Ty and me try to connect at least once a month, lunch or a drink. You know.”

“You don’t see Mikkel or Axl?” Olaf asked, surprised.

Anders gestured to his eye, “Was it not obvious I’m not family – not since Mike chucked me out.”

“You should apologize – family’s the most important -” Olaf started, but Anders cut in with a hard barking laugh.

“I told him the truth. I did it for him. Even a dumb animal knows to chew off its leg in a trap like that. I didn’t want him to suffer. But he chose her over family, grandpa. And now he gets to live with that, she’s a fucking riptide and she will pull him under,” Anders said, downing the rest of his drink before adding, “no more than he deserves.”

Anders turned back and removed the steaks. Letting them rest he strained the noodles.  Putting them in a serving bowl he poured most of the butter over them before tossing in what remained of the pound of cheese. Pulling down some plates he divided the vegetables between them and plated the steaks before pouring the remaining butter over the steaks and vegetables.  He handed Olaf silverware and in two trips brought the plates, serving bowl and bottle of vodka to the table. He dished some of the pasta on his plate and passed the rest to Olaf.

“So, grandad, in all that time kicking around, how many goddess have you met?” Anders asked.

It turned out that over the years he’d met a few. Two he’d loved and his daughter-in-law and her mother. He said in his experience most goddesses had at least one other goddess hanging around, sisters, mothers, daughters, but that gods tended to be solitary beings.

“Don’t you need gods, to get sisters and daughters,” Anders asked.

Olaf laughed and shook his head, “For the preliminaries at least. Sometimes the children happen after the god is gone, sometime the god goes after.”

Anders got the feeling the Olaf is treading cautiously. Not wanting to imply that their father shot through due to the burden of four young godlings.

“How many kids do you have, Grandpa?” Anders asked.

“Forty two that I knew about,” Olaf said, instantly with a pained look.

Anders hated to push, he could tell that not being able to stay in one place has worn hard on Olaf and it’s pained him not being able to stay and love his children while they grew. But he asked because Olaf is here so infrequently and hardly ever in a mood to share while coherent enough to do so. So Anders continued, “How many grand kids.”

Olaf looked up as he served himself more pasta, and blinked in confusion, “Four, Anders.”

“So, Dad was the only one to have kids?” Ander’s said.

“The others were all mortal,” Olaf said.

“How do you know? For sure? That they were; that their mothers were mortal?” Anders asked. “I sleep with a lot of women – and I took care of it, almost as soon as I legally could because, I’d be a shit father and I didn’t want to worry about that but you’re reborn every day. It wouldn’t work for you. So of all those women, over all those years, is there a test; a way to know if one of them is a goddess without – asking?”

Olaf stopped chewing and got a look on his face that Anders was familiar with, not so much an oracle look as an ‘I must get very stoned and think about this’ look.

While Olaf was thinking, Anders refilled his own glass, cleared his own plate rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher and started to tidy the kitchen. He went back to the table, emptied the rest of the pasta onto Olaf’s plate because he wasn’t putting the small amount left in a storage container.  And then rinsed the serving bowl and put in the dishwasher. He then topped up Olaf’s glass and moved to the lounge area, with the bottle. He fired up his lap top and started catching up on some email, leaving Olaf to his thinking.

He got almost an hour’s worth of work completed before he heard Olaf carry his plate and cutlery to the sink. Olaf joined him in the lounge to refill his glass and Anders closed his laptop and set it aside. 

“What makes you ask?” Olaf offered as a result of his thinking, much to Anders disappointment.

“There’s a woman,” Anders started and Olaf gave a knowing grin. “Well there are lots of women, but this one, I wondered ‘is she’ and then I realized. There’s no way to know is there? We don’t have a secret hand shake, or a publication of godly who’s who. I can’t very well ask her – so how do gods and goddess hook up, and how do we know we haven’t hooked up already and left unknown godly sprogs all over.”

Olaf nodded, and Anders suppressed the urge to kick him. After a long moment he said, “You make a very good point.”

Anders groaned and buried his face in his hands before groaning out, “Grandpa, do you have anything *ANYTHING* at all helpful.”

“No.” Olaf said. “Every goddess that I met, that I knew was a goddess, was introduced to me by someone, another god or goddess.”

Anders folded his arms across his chest and glared before he said, “What you’re saying, it seems, is that for all you know this woman could be my cousin?” At Olaf’s shocked look Anders felt the need to explain, “You know if you hooked up with some girl you didn’t know was a goddess, she could have grown up not knowing – well the lightning strike at twenty one would have clued her in, probably.”

“Goddesses don’t get lightening,” Olaf said. “It’s usually more subtle with them.”

They continued drinking, probably more than was good for them. Before Anders turned in he gave Olaf one of the calling cards Dawn had him delivering to all the businesses in the area. And he said, “I’ll have left for work by the time you wake up. Stop by, see if Ty wants to have lunch with us, and say goodbye to your cousin and you can meet her – see what you think.” Olaf nodded and Anders left him with a second, almost full bottle. He knew it would be gone with him when he left and hoped it would keep him from pillaging his liquor cabinet.

The next morning flew by; they really were going to need a dedicated office support worker. Although Anders was holding back because he knew Dawn would push for some geriatric librarian, while he thought they needed something pretty to brighten up the place. He was actually looking forward to negotiating with Dawn, she had a habit of adding odd things into their verbal contract and deals that made it fun. It was nearing lunch time and he had almost forgotten Olaf was stopping by.

Dawn approached his desk and he looked up. She was frowning, which wasn’t like her and she said, “Anders there’re” and she paused and looked back, but the reception area wasn’t visible from his desk. “Gentlemen,” she said but sounded like she doubted they were, “to see you. They say they’re family. One of them isn’t likely to hit you is he? One is very large. Would you like me to get rid of them?”

Anders very carefully did not laugh at the image of Dawn chasing Olaf out of the office with a rolled up magazine that floated though his head. “No, I -” he paused and said, “That’s my cousin Olaf; he’s just in town for Ty’s birthday. I think we’re taking Ty to lunch the other is probably Ty.”

Anders made a point to introduce them since that was the whole point of having Olaf stop by. He watched carefully as Dawn shook hands with both of them. Amused that they, unlike him, passed the hand shake requirements, or else Dawn was too professional to show her distaste and would be heading for the facilities to wash with hot soapy water once they left.

Olaf wasn’t a born detective so when he tried to be clever and asked about her mother, he looked like he would have a stroke when she told him her mother had gotten knocked up by a surfer and passed Dawn off as the daughter of the man she married. Anders was surprised; Dawn played her personal life pretty close to her chest. However, taking in the puka shell necklace, sandals and board shorts Olaf was wearing he surmised Dawn had done it deliberately. 

Seeing her, greeting and calmly taking in details of his relative Anders was startled to realize that Ty and Dawn were about the same age. There probably wasn’t much more than a year between them, yet she seemed so much more mature and worldly than his shy gloomy brother. Maybe this lunch was a good idea, it might be best if he kept Ty a little closer. It would give him more opportunities to tease him, and at least Ty remembered him. Axl saw more of Olaf than he did of him since Mike’s bitch of a wife had declared him a bad influence.

At the pub during the lunch rush, Anders used Bragi to get them a large half circle booth near the back. It was a new microbrew pub they were courting as clients. Once seated they quickly decided to each order the sampler of six, four ounce tastings to try what was on tap and a few appetizers while they looked over the menus.

Once the waitress left Anders looked at Olaf and said, “Well.”

“Well what?” Ty asked as he cautiously tasted the first beer in the line of glasses.

Anders turned to him since Olaf’s blank look was not helping, “The reason I had you two come to my office, instead of meeting you’re here was I wanted a godly opinion on Dawn.”

“Dawn?” Ty asked, “Your secretary.”

Anders didn’t correct Ty, let him call her that and learn the lesson the hard way. As Hod, Dawn’s icy distain would probably roll right off him. “Dawn. Do you think she might be a goddess?”

“How would I know?” Ty said.

Anders looked pointedly at his little brother and said, “You’re a god.”

“So far I’ve burst my shower pipes, killed my fern and everything tastes frozen,” Ty said, morosely. “My godhood sucks.”

Anders frantically tried to think of a good thing about any of that and came up blank. In fact everything he grasps at mentally seemed doomed to make it worse. Like the fact that the human body was made largely of water and Ty’s gift cold probably kill people quickly and untraceable. He didn’t want his little brother to become some freakish supervillain assassin out for a Bond flick.

“We could,” And he was reaching, but it was obvious Mike was just going to dump this on Ty and run back to his suburban cave and hide from it. Ty had been stunned to find out that his beloved mother had chosen to leave, and that she buggered off to be a tree. “We could,” he started again and had a sudden inspiration, “head out to the woods again. Find something big – rocks, or a pond and intentionally freeze it.”

“How will that help?” Ty asked.

“Well its practice, right. You get used to using your power, controlling it. It won’t use you. I didn’t instantly have complete control of my persuasive ability you know. Like anything else it took practice. I fucked up. I learned. It got better.” Anders offered.

Ty looked surprised and asked, “You’d come with me?”

“Yeah, I have some work to do this weekend, but if you drive I can get it done on the ride out,” Anders offered.

“Is there anything special about her?” Olaf asked.

Anders looked at him and said, “Who?”

“Dawn,” Ty and Olaf said together.

The waitress came back and took their lunch orders. After she left, Anders offered, “She’s freakishly organized and unflappable.” At the looks he got he then added hesitantly, “Her brother stopped by yesterday. When he shook my hand, I thought he was making a pass, you know.” Ty looked incredulous and Olaf looked like, no he didn’t know. Anders continued, “But later, when I looked in the mirror my eye was well – like it is now.”

Ty actually gently took Anders face in his hands and looked closely in his eyes and at his face. Gingerly he touched around the eyes. His hands weren’t icy but they were cold, and felt pretty good on his still bruised face. “Honestly,” Ty offered, “I thought you were wearing concealer.”

“Makeup,” Anders squawked.

“Don’t be an egg. They have stuff designed to cover scars and tattoos so you can maintain a professional appearance,” Ty said, with a touch of exasperation.

“The white was almost solid red yesterday when I work up, by the time Olaf stopped after three it was perfectly healthy,” Anders said.

“Her brother you say,” Olaf asked and put on his thinking face. Before finish up the last of the appetizers and helping himself to some of Ty’s sampler, since he’d finished his. “You sure she didn’t do it?” Olaf asked.

“She didn’t touch me. Come to think of it, I’m not sure she’s ever touched me – skin to skin.” He tried to think back over the months they worked day in and day out. He remembered her refusing to shake his hand and why when they’d met. “Huh, I hadn’t really thought of that. But no yesterday she was upset, when she saw it and she made me up an ice pack. Her brother, when she introduced him, shook my hand. Held on and didn’t let go, well for longer than socially acceptable outside of a gay bar.”

“You’ve been to gay bars?” Ty asked, prompting Anders to shove his shoulder and nearly send him out of the booth.

“The thing is,” Olaf said. “Healing, that’s goddess territory. “Eir, even Frigg to some degree – we don’t have gods that can heal. You sure he was male.”

“He was Ty’s height and looked like he could pick you up and throw you Grandpa,” Anders said.

Their meals arrived and for a while there is nothing but the sound of the three of them eating. And then Ty looks up and asked, “You seriously haven’t made a pass at her? You? Bragi, lord high god of pickup lines?” Andres mutters something in his plate and Ty pokes him and said, “Say that again.”

“She hit me with a rolled up magazine. She said, if I ever tried that ‘blarney’ stuff on her she would..” Anders trailed off.

“What?” Ty asked, with a grin.

And if Anders hadn’t been so happy to see the first smile on his brother’s face since his godhood ceremony he’d have told him to piss off. So it was only feigned reluctance with which he said, “Break my jaw so that my mouth would have to be wired shut.”

Ty’s grin got wider and he said, “I like her. Is she seeing anyone?”

“Fuck you very much,” Anders groused.

Olaf looked unusually attentive when he interrupted the brothers and said, “She knows about Bragi? And she called it blarney?”

“She doesn’t know about Bragi or Gods or anything like that. She knows,” Anders paused because he wasn’t sure what she really knew or thought. They were careful to pretend all was perfectly normal. And for the most part it was. He took a breath and said, “I think she realizes that my ability to be persuasive is,” he didn’t want to say supernatural. Olaf wasn’t anything like Mike in the controlling, hyper-vigilant department. But he was totally on board with the ‘no one must ever suspect we’re gods’ party line. Ander said, “unusual, more than the normal guy on the street but not godlike.”

“The term blarney, that’s an Irish thing,” Olaf said.

“Her last name is Kelly,” Anders said, “that’s kind of Irish, yeah?”

Olaf nodded and added, “The thing is, the Irish do have a god of healing. Name’s Cainte. Knew one back in the war, he was a medic, he could have healed you just by taking your hand.”

“So, there are others - other gods, not just Norse?” Ty asked. “Why didn’t Mike mention that, that strikes me as kind of important.”

“Not sure he knows,” Olaf said. “I’ve moved around, met the sea gods all over the world, right here we have Maori, know a couple Hawaiian fellas, met a Hermes back in the sixties and heard rumor that there was an Epona protesting population control of the Brumbies back in the 80s she may still be in Australia.

Ty had that stunned look he’d worn the whole night of his godhood ceremony.  Or maybe just since Mike told him despite being mommy’s favorite she’d still rather be a tree. “You ever think,” Anders drawled, stopped to signal the waitress he’d picked which of the samples of beer he wanted a full pint of and continued, “that maybe everyone – literally ever human being on the planet is the same as us and we’re all just told not to tell anyone.”

Olaf snorted and Ty rolled his eyes but grinned. Anders thought it might be nice to spend some time with his brother; surely he could break from partying once a week or maybe every other week and try to cheer his morose ass up.


	10. I was out on the prowl down by the edge of the track

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ty, Axl, Zeb and Anders

“Do not charge in like bulls in a china shop,” Ty barked to the two teens racing up the stairs. He had intended to wait for the lift to Anders’ office but Axl and Zeb had way too much energy and were racing a head up the stairs. “It’s a place of business,” he called, his voice ringing in the closed stairwell.

He picked up the pace trying to catch up, when he emerged outside the reception area, Zeb and Axl were seated sedately, stealthy devouring the remains of a tray of sweet rolls and scones, while Anders and Dawn were shaking hands bidding goodbye to three well-dressed men who were getting on the lift. Dawn offered him a raised eyebrow in greeting and a nod indicating he should go sit with the children.

She looked great. Her hair, except for her bangs, was swept back and pinned low on her neck. In a nod to the summer weather she was wearing dove grey business shorts and matching jacket over a lacy pink blouse. Her heels were low but still made her legs look great. Ty had been trying to ease his way in and maybe loosen her up to him, but he was beginning to suspect that Anders had told her he was gay. Since Hod, Anders may have been going out of his way to be nice to him, but he was still his big brother and some forms of hazing were never going to go away.

Dawn puzzled him. Over the months since his birthday he’d seen more of her than before. He appreciated that Anders was making an effort to spend more time with him. Ty appreciated it enough not to call Anders on it, since Anders would just do something asinine if Ty even implied he was going soft.  He’d asked Anders why she seemed so suspicious of him, asked if she knew about or sensed his godhood. Anders had laughed and said the only thing Dawn knew was not to trust Johnsons to use their words and not their fists.

Swaggering back into the office, Anders gave Axl a hug. “Sorry, lads, breakfast meeting went a bit over, no worries though, I’ll just be a minute,” he said, before going through a door over by Dawn’s desk.

Dawn sat at the reception and tidied some paperwork while saying, “Sounds like you boys have a big day planned. Did you remember to wear sunscreen? I have some in my bag if you forgot.”

“I think we’ll be fine,” Ty said. He hoped Anders hurried he didn’t think even Dawn’s sever look could keep Axl and Zeb under control, once the food was gone. He asked, “So, did Anders really get the passes comped by a client?”

“Yes, Rainbow End recently signed with us, Anders tried to pitch this as market research but I’m not as blinded to his blarney as he thinks I am,” Dawn said, scooping up her files and carrying them to her desk in the back.

Ander emerged from the door behind her desk; gone was the well fitted suit and tie. He was wearing beat up leather loafers, jeans and faded gray tee shirt. “I resent the term blarney, Dawn. We’ve discussed this. I have well-reasoned, logical support for my-”

“Blarney, Anders. And completely unnecessary; you’re in charge. You can schedule time off without coming up with outlandish reasons for going to an amusement park with your brothers,” Dawn said.

“Outlandish?” Anders started.

“We should get going, gates open at ten,” Ty interrupted. He found Anders and Dawn entertaining when they got like this but he didn’t think Axl and Zeb would appreciate the show when they were excited about going to the park.

“So let’s go,” Anders said, leading the way out and called back over his shoulder. “Don’t work too late, Dawn.”

They took the lift down to the lobby, left Ty’s van and climbed into Anders SUV to head to the park. It was a little after ten when they hit the car park, and Ty was surprised how full the lot was. It was a good day for it, clear but not too hot. A weekday in the summer, the park was full of mostly kids Axl’s age and tourists. There were a sprinkling of younger children accompanied by a parent or two but most of the parents would be working on a weekday.

Ty and Anders had talked about it and Ty, upon inviting Axl and Zeb had said a friend of his had the tickets. So as far as Mike and Val knew Anders wasn’t involved. In the ride over to Anders’ office Ty had sworn both Axl and Zeb to silence about the friend being Anders. Zeb almost immediately seemed wise to the subterfuge; Axl had been slower on the uptake. Ty still wasn’t sure he got it.

The gangly fourteen year olds ran for the gates as soon as the car was parked. Ty and Anders followed more sedately and caught up to wait in line along with them. Anders handed out the passes and asked, “Everyone have something creatively colorful for breakfast – you know, to make chucking more exciting?”

The boys were suitably grossed out and Ty shoved Anders as he chuckled at their responses. While the Zeb and Axl were listing which rides they wanted to go on and in what order, Ty asked, “Do you think we’ll be able to keep up with them?”

“Probably not, well you might, you’re in better shape than me,” Anders said. “We’ll just arrange to meet periodically at various food stops. Axl, food, you know how that goes, he’ll make sure he makes the check-ins. I think it’s safe enough; there old enough to be out of sight for an hour or two.”

“Isn’t the whole point of today to spend time with Axl,” Ty asked. “Shouldn’t we stay with-”

“The point of today is to have fun,” Ander cut in, “not to punish the kid by making him hang out with old folks. They’ll run each other ragged and can hang with us while we eat.

They did hit the first ride as a group and as they were exiting the ride Anders pointed out an eatery and said, “Okay, run wild and meet us there at 11:30 we’ll grab some grub, on me, don’t let us hold you back.”

Axl and Zeb bolted for the most stomach churning ride they could find and Ty and Anders meandered in their wake stopping at a shorter line for a less life threatening ride. “You did let them know not to let Mike or Val know I was here today; or it’ll be the last time Axl does anything without being checked up on.”

“I tried,” Ty said. “I did. I just don’t think Axl gets what will happen, if he lets it slip. They, Mike and Val, have never made it clear that you’re off limits. They just let him think you moved out and never came around.”

“Fucking bastard,” Anders said. “Did you think,” he stopped and ran his fingers back through his hair, “Did you think I skipped on you? I mean, they chucked me out, I wouldn’t have just left, either of you-”

“I know,” Ty said softly. “I know now, but yeah back then. You just disappeared. But you got in touch – mom never did that, never said goodbye, never sent a letter or anything. You showed up at school, let me know you couldn’t come around, but made sure we had a way to get in touch with you. That meant a lot.”

“Felt like some creepy pedo,” Anders said. “Couldn’t even trust them not to intercept a letter, thank Bragi, I could get around the school staff, of course once Axl let Val know he’d seen me at school she called and told them I wasn’t to be trusted around either of you.”

“She did that?” Ty said. “Jesus, you could have been arrested.”

“She kept it vague, implied my lifestyle was unsuitable, that way they could think I was gay, a drug addict or a pedophile,” Ander drawled, “very clever, and if I were mortal very hard to fight.”

“You Bragi’ed them?” Ty asked.

“Had them convinced she was a frigid, fundy who couldn’t get pregnant and wanted me out of all your lives cause I knocked up my girlfriend.” Anders said. “Please note that I lied. Mike and his ‘Anders lies’. Well I could have told the truth, that she slept with one of us – that would have shot down her doting mother routine – might not have gotten her out of the house but if I’d said it had happened before that I thought it might be happening with you - since she worked for the same school system it might have lost her a job and the ability to work with kids altogether.”

“But she didn’t,” Ty said. “I mean she never gave any indication-”

“I made sure she didn’t. I ‘conveniently’ ran into her at the market, after Mike chucked me out, and I,” Anders stopped and scuffed the toe of his loafer and looked up, meeting Ty’s gaze clearly and with laser like frankness, “I ‘persuaded’ her to believe that if she ever so much as touched you, Mike would know and he would not be willing to blame you, that while she could use me as a scapegoat – no one  - in or out of the family would believe her over you.”

“Axl was too young then, he was safe. Ty - he’s getting older. He’s big for his age and I don’t trust the cunt. Don’t get me wrong, I fucked her – and made sure Mike knew. But she wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t been wanting to do it – and she was never shy about letting me know that. I couldn’t have sent her out to kill the neighbor’s cat or fuck his wife.”

“There are limits to what I can talk people into, Mike seems to think I just walk up to people and say pay me outrageous sums of money. I work. Dawn and I, it’s not all 9 to 5, there’re networking meetings, happy hours, dinners, charity events, we put in evenings and weekends – that’s why she just shrugs off me going out today, she knows that I’ve already put the hours in. What I’m saying is I have tested the limits of my powers and I know a lot more about them than I did at your age, no one gets in bed with me who hasn’t first thought that they wanted to.”

Ty was nodding, and hardly broke eye contact as they slowly moved forward in line as the ride loaded; stopping about six groups back from the gate they leaned against the barrier holding the crowd back from the ride. Anders thought, no wonder so many women seem to fall into friend at first sight with Ty. This kind of intense attention must draw them like flies and if they found themselves spilling out stuff like Anders, regrets, secrets, details he would never normally share and not just because no one outside of their twisted little family would understand but because they were still raw, bleeding and likely to reopen at the wrong word or even facial expression. Ty was wasted working on fridges, he should be a therapist. He had this way of making you trust him, open up to him, and it was nothing to do with Hod because he’d been like this as a kid.

“I don’t know,” Anders continued, “It’s just with Axl. I’m sure you were happier not having to look over your shoulder, but neither of us are there, in that house, to keep an eye on her and Mike, dear god, he only sees what he wants to see. I’ve never got that. He gets this picture of how it is in his head and then grinds and grinds and kills himself trying to make that be the real world, no matter who gets hurt.”

“Even himself,” Ty said.

“Well, Mike’s a big boy and if he bleeds out that on him,” Anders said, grimly, “Its Axl, I’m worried about. Just … I don’t know. I don’t want to warn him, if it’s unlikely. He was so young, maybe she really does think of him as her kid. But I do want him aware that if anything happened he has someone, somewhere he can turn.”

“We do this all the time to him,” Ty said and sighed. “We keep him in the dark. And we can’t even blame it on the god shit. It’s like were two separate families. There are those of us who remember what it was like when mom and dad were with us and then Axl who just doesn’t have the frame of reference that home doesn’t mean safe.”

“And that adults can’t be trusted,” Anders said. “That’s why I’m never having kids. At least the only life I’ll fuck up will be my own.”

Once they got into the swing of things and developed a system of hitting shorter lines, there wasn’t much time to talk about serious things. They got off a ride just after 11:30 and made their way to meet Axl and Zeb. At the food pavilion, Axl and Zeb were nearly to the front of the line and a mother with two kids objected to Ty and Anders joining them. Anders smoothed her over with just a touch of Bragi, but he did tell her to order and paid for it all together. They ate copious amounts of fried food while Zeb and Axl gave detailed and physical; at one point so much flailing was involved Axl fell off the small café chair he was seated on, descriptions of the rides they’d been on so far.

When Anders asked if they wanted to meet at 2 for some more food and where it should be or if they wanted to ride the rest of the day and get something after they left the park it was taking Axl so long to decide Anders added, “or we could do both.”

At two, they met at different, cafeteria style pavilion and had a larger meal and Ty and Anders stayed with the boys after that, as Axl wanted to show them his favorite rides and since it was getting hotter and brighter the crowd was thinning a bit there was less wait in line. Anders found Axl’s enthusiasm exhausting but had to admit Mike wasn’t doing such a bad job there was none of the duck and cover instincts that Andres had had at that age. Axl was open to the point Anders almost cringed at how many weaknesses and vulnerabilities he exposed. Torn between wanting him to protect himself better and knowing that those protective instincts were what made him and to a degree Ty such emotionally stunted pricks. Okay maybe he was the only prick but Ty had issues of a different sort, he seemed to be developing a blame Hod reflex much like Mike liked to blame Ullr or Bragi. One thing Anders was sure of, was that with or without the gods their family would have been fucked up, gods were just convenient and unable to defend themselves when there was blame to be spread. He might be a prick and he might be a bastard but he could be honest, at least with himself.

They closed the park at five and between the wait to get out of the car park and rush hour traffic it was after six when they made it to a nearby Chinese buffet. It was a fixed price regardless of how many trips and Anders paid for them as they entered. Once seated regardless of them having eaten throughout the day Axl attempted to bankrupt the establishment with Zeb coming in a close second despite his size.

The sun was still high as they were leaving and Anders was considering suggesting their new clients extend their hours. He may be exhausted but the boys were still raring to go. Keeping people in the park longer would up concession sales, and if they considered a special after five pass at half price the park might get working locals to attend for the evening especially when there was light until nearly nine.

After leaving the buffet, Anders drove back to the office. Ty loaded the boys into his van, started to pull away and stopped and said out the rolled down window, “We should do this again sometime.”

“Yeah,” Anders said with a smile, “maybe next time hit that laser tag place.”

Zeb and Axl’s enthusiastic approval almost drowned out Ty’s reply, “Sounds good, but maybe I can pick up the bill for that one.”

On the way back to Mike and Val’s, Ty pulled off the road into a parking lot for a strip mall. He turned in his seat and focused on Axl but could feel Zeb vibrating with attention from the back seat.

“Axl,” Ty said. “This is a rite of passage. I am about to indoctrinate you into our family’s most sacred and holy art of lying. We are all good at this. Mike, Anders, me and now is the time to pass that obligation on to you. Are you ready to accept this challenge – failure will result in a fate too terrible to contemplate.”

Zeb was bouncing now and Ty was worried he’d be disappointed when he found that there were no dragons to be slayed. Axl just looked very confused.

“Lying?” Axl asked.

“Yes. When I drop you off – sometime, tonight, tomorrow, next week, you need to lie. If anyone asks you about today, you can talk about the park, the rides the food – everything you and Zeb did. But you must not, ever mention that Anders went with us. We went with my friend,” and Ty paused and thought and said, “John. My friend John Andersen, nice guy works at the park, got us an employee discount. If you fail - if you let them know Anders was there; they will want to know where you are and who you’re with for the rest of the summer - maybe the rest of the time of your life. They will also not want you to spend time with me, unless they’re there.”

“Why?” Axl asked.

“Val hates Anders, always has. It’s mutual – they were like two cats when she moved in, neither wanted the other in their territory.” Ty said. “But once Mike threw him out, she did everything in her power not to let him near us. He always made sure I knew how to contact him; and that I could call if I needed him. I only had a little more than a year from when he got chucked until I moved out. But you have a number of years to go before you get your own place and can make your own choices. Mike will pull the ‘you do as I say while you’re under my roof’ line, so yeah, you lie unless you want monitored until you move out. Anders is a bad influence and it’s for your own good and all the other excuses Val used didn’t really fly with me, but I’m an adult they don’t have any say in who I call family – you’re a minor.”

Ty felt bad, Axl wore a thoughtful look the rest of the drive to Mike’s place. It had been a fun day and he hated to rain on Axl’s good time but a careless word around Val would put an end to any more outings. It was just too bad Mike couldn’t come. When it had been just the four of them, before Val moved up with Rob. They had gotten along fine, endless bickering over chores and the usual because they argued as entertainment. But back then, money had been tight with Mike being the only one working steady. Anders had held some part time jobs while in school and lived with them after he was old enough to live on his own both to help with running the house and to save money on his own expenses. Even with the comped tickets to the park they would never have been able to afford a day like today, Anders had easily dropped between one and two hundred on the food alone. Now with the three of them adults and working they could have easily made time for all kinds of things Axl would enjoy that they never got to do as kids. Skydiving, parasailing, bungie jumping, the North Island had lots of tourist places with ways to have fun and spend money; instead of inviting Mike to join them, they had to sneak around like they were doing something wrong.

After dropping the boys at Mike’s Ty headed home. He stripped off his shirt as he wove between the reconditioned refrigerators that stood like objects of art though out his living space. He was exhausted, grimy and couldn’t remember when he’d had as much fun as spending time with Axl and Anders today. Maybe they’d save the laser tag for when the weather got colder. They could be in Rotorua in less than three hours, which would be longer stopping frequently for food for Axl. Maybe they should Zorb while the weather was fine. He logged onto his lap top to check hours and pricing before he hit the shower. If he and Anders got competitive with trying to outdo each other on what to do next time, and who was he kidding he and Anders always got competitive, it would be fascinating to find out if they broke their necks before they broke their budgets.


	11. baby you’re the only thing in this old world that’s pure and good and right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irish Gods and how they’re made

Of course this would happen on the one day Dawn needed to leave early. She’d already changed into flat canvas shoes and removed the jacket she’d worn over a sleeveless halter dress. But before she could leave an angry applicant had come in demanding to speak with Anders about why she wasn’t hired. Backed against the conference table, sometimes Dawn wished she could do whatever it was Anders did; like now.

If a man loomed into her personal space like this, raised his voice and started threatening her, Dawn would have had no problem taking him down. She wouldn’t even have to use the dagger her father had built into her favorite leather portfolio she could do it either by hooking an ankle around his and tripping him, kneeing his groin or as a last resort popping his knee cap with her instep. Ms. Kamana however looked to be in her late sixties was built like a heron and her bones would probably snap like that bird as well.

She’d been one of four candidates that Dawn had filter for Andres to interview for the position of office support. To be honest, Dawn had known Anders would give her a pass but had wanted him to feel like he had a choice. It was always important to give Anders a choice. It hadn’t been her age or her ethnicity, as she was currently very vocally attesting, which had prevented her being hired, nor was it that she wasn’t the eye candy for which Anders had lobbied. It was her almost orgasmic pleasure at being offended, by everything. And her complete lack of decorum regarding what was and wasn’t professional in way of expressing it. Being offended in her home was one thing, but Ms. Kamana intended to bring this into the workspace and that alone would have had Dawn hiring the eye candy.

The eye candy they actually hired was George. Anders had had to sit down he laughed so hard when Dawn had referred to him as eye candy. George was at least in his mid to late thirties and came from a retail background. He had worked his way up to assistant manager and then a restructuring had occurred and he could either be just a clerk, with a pay cut, or look for a new job. Dawn had known him because he had attended networking events and even though he’d never worked in marketing he had a good business sense and was familiar with computers.

Dawn thought George was oddly attractive. He wasn’t conventionally handsome and wouldn’t stop traffic like her dad and he didn’t ooze sexuality like Jeremy but there was just something about him. And other women saw the appeal as well, despite him not being as flashy as Anders; he’d often left those networking events with varying attractive women on his arm. Anders apparently still thought she was joking.

George would have been helpful right now with the Maori banshee. That thought brought Dawn up short because maybe that was why she hadn’t liked this woman Ms. Kamana uncomfortably reminded Dawn of her mother. George being Maori, or just by not being a hot twenty year old blonde, would have been able to sooth some of her objections to not getting the position. George however was out being fitted for a couple suits. Dawn had made an appointment with one of their clients and convinced Anders that an initial outlay of funds to cover some essentials would allow them to control the image George presented. His former work clothes would worked to a degree but would brand him as staff only. Dawn had found base on her Mum and the Senora’s advice that dressing on par with executives was leverage she needed as a woman, and which George would need given his nonexistent PR background.

Dawn had used Anders as a guide on how professional she should dress for work. And since Anders knew what a fine figure he cut in an expensive suit, he rarely, if ever, dressed down. Dawn had the added burden of trying to get their clients to stop treating her as a secretary, or a waitress. She had a little over a year as a partner in the firm and they were slowly moving from up-and-coming to already there in the success department. Unfortunately, clients she had brought in, single handedly planned and executed their campaigns still stopped by to thank Anders for all her hard work, occasionally telling him what a great girl he had working for him. Once they put him in a suit, it probably wouldn’t be long before they said the same things to George.

“Ms. Kamana,” Dawn interrupted firmly, “You are demonstrating the very reason we went in another direction with our hiring practices. Your behavior is reprehensible. I recommend you seek employment in a field that does not require you to have contact with people.”

“How dare you. I’ll have you fired,” She started.

Dawn cut in, “I assure you I will not be firing myself. Do you comprehend that no employer wants you representing them to their clients in this manner?”

“And your assumption that Dawn was just here to set appointments and had no impact in the hiring decision is the kind of backwards thinking that J:pr does not want represented to our clients or the business community,” Anders drawled. He was lounging against the wall which kept the reception area out of view from his area of the office. So like him to pop back into the office just in time to play knight in a Rembrandt suit. He couldn’t have wandered back in from his sales calls before this started or come later after it was over, he had to swoop in when she was finally handling it.

Ms. Kamana had whirled so quickly at the sound of Andres voice she almost stumbled. He leaned there, jacket buttoned, tie straight, hair perfect as if he was waiting for a photographer to happen by and shoot an ad. And then Dawn had one of those mental blips that had her wanting to flip open her portfolio and start taking notes, because really it would be good exposure, open up a wealth of potential new clients and they could probably find a way to tie in a charity to the event. If they timed it to the week of the job fairs that started near the end of term for the local Uni setting up a men’s fashion show – well they’d obviously have to call it something different. Tying in their existing men’s wear client and there was a high end leather shop that dealt in attaches and satchels, maybe approach Baron and Buxton. At that point she’d almost forgotten Ms. Kamana and was wondering where Anders got his shoes only to be jarred back to reality by his voice, taking on that low soothing humming quality.

Well that was taken care of, Dawn sat at the conference table and opened her portfolio and started to sketch out what would be involved with setting up a promotional event. Maybe turn it into a signature fundraiser to help launch students into the professional working world. That way they could freshen the idea annually and turn it into a yearly promo. It wouldn’t just be products like clothing but could attract services, placement agencies, CV workshops, local businesses looking to bring on interns. She flipped the page once it was filled and was half way down the next when she realized Anders was back and standing next to her, trying to read over her shoulder. She looked up and lifted an eye brow.

“Sorry,” he said, looking not at all sorry. “Thought you’d like to know the battle ax is off.”

“Knew you had her sorted and I wanted to get this down. Ta, Anders. My way of sorting her was getting perilously close to bludgeoning her to death,” Dawn said.

“Of course Dawn, I worry about our clients’ safety with you all the time,” He said, wandering toward his desk.

“As a man, which do you find less off putting, ‘fashion show’ or ‘style symposium’?” Dawn asked.

Anders gave her a look that managed to convey he thought she was crazy and that he would run in the other direction if he heard either term. What he replied though was, “Did you know in Ancient Greece a symposium was a drinking party.”

“You have a very focused body of knowledge,” Dawn said. “I have an idea to promote a number of our current and potential new clients in one event – tailored toward the male working professional or those who aspire to move up in the business world.”

“It’s about what a young man needs to step into a new role after graduation,” she continued. “There are all sorts of things targeted at young women to ‘dress for success’ but men just sort of flounder – or wait for a woman to sort them out, regardless of if she has any taste. When Mum met Dad she thought someone was deliberately dressing him in ugly shirts, to keep other people from trying to sleep with him. It’s almost congenital, if he walks in a store with only one ugly shirt that’s the one he grabs.”

“You never talk about your parents,” he said. It was said in a bland voice but his sharp eyes seemed to take in so much more than she ever felt comfortable reveling. It was perilously close to the subject they had avoided for so long and George was out of the office so maybe he was trying to ask without asking.

“I could say the same,” Dawn said. She was watching him closely, not even pretending to work on her notes.

He had his mask firmly in place as if he hadn’t a care in the world and his voice was calm and steady as he said, “You know the bones, the official story is that mum died in a car accident on the day Mike turned twenty one, Dad had buggered off a couple years before – though he’d been leaving for longer and longer since before Axl was born, that’s why there’s such a gap between Ty and Axl. Thought we were rid of the bastard then he came back,” Anders said and added softly, “Just stayed long enough to fuck things up some more.”

Dawn wanted to say something but was at a loss for words before she could think of anything Anders said, “We were all better off without them.”

“Official story? She really shot off as well?” Dawn asked.

“She wanted to be a tree,” Anders said waving a hand around that could mean she was crazy or that he was joking, but his eyes were serious.

“Still,” She said, “no one stepped up? No aunts or grandmother?” Dawn said.

“Just Mike.” He said, and then laughed and added, “And Olaf.”

“I feel guilty,” she said, getting up and going over to her desk to start tiding to leave. “I’m spoiled for parents. Mother, who birthed me and Mum, who gave me my brothers, The Senora, who’s like an abuela”

“A what?” Anders said standing and wandering over to her side of the office.

“She’s like a grandmother, more mentor, she really showed me the ropes in business,” Dawn said, before adding, “Three fathers I supposed. Mother’s ex, who I haven’t seen since I was fifteen – Daddy, who you met, he’s the bio dad of RJ and Gary; and Dad whose the bio dad of me, and Summer and Ocean and Paul and JT – so far.”

“So far?” Ander said.

“Big families get bigger, Anders,” Dawn said. “Mum says there’s a special name for people who use condoms as birth control.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Anders said.

Dawn didn’t know if he’d heard this before or was just feeding her the straight line but she still grinned when she said, “Parents.”

He groaned theatrically so he probably had and raised a fist in victory and said, “Vasectomy.”

“There are ways around that,” she said.

“Really?” Anders said. “Don’t think I have to worry about that.”

“As long as you don’t plow a fertility goddess,” Dawn said, she took her suit jacket back into the storage area to hang in the wardrobe. It had two other jackets and she made a mental note she would have to take them home soon and dry clean them. There was a spare suit of Anders and a couple of fresh shirts, along with a raincoat she’d left the last time she’d gone from work to the Keep.

She was surprised to turn back and see Anders leaning against the frame of the open doorway with an incredulous look on this face as he said, “How likely is that to happen?”

“I know statistics aren’t your favorite subject, Anders. But given the sheer numbers you go though I think it’s fair to say that if it happens to anyone, it will happen to you,” Dawn said as she slipped by him back into the office.

She cleared her desk and put her portfolio in the place next to her computer and Anders, picking up on her routine said, “You’re not leaving, are you? It’s not even four yet.”

“It’s midsummer. I told you I had plans.” Dawn said.

“Its winter,” He said, following her though the reception area.

She pushed the button for the lift and while she waited turned to him and said, “We don’t move Christmas it’s still in December and Midsummer is in June. I don’t make the rules.”

The lift came; she stepped in and pressed for the lobby, “goodnight, Anders.”

As soon as the doors closed, Anders had an idea and acted immediately. After all he hadn’t taken the opportunity to tease Dawn about the tattoo he’d just seen below her chignon in the halter dress. He bolted down the stairs as fast as he could to the lobby and met the lift as a soft ding sounded to announce its arrival. He was prepared to give a pithy rejoinder about Dawn making the rules but it stopped him cold when the doors opened and the lift was empty.

He glanced outside. Her car wasn’t in the lot and he tried to remember if he’d noticed it when he got in earlier. Come to think of it there were days he didn’t see her car at all. The one time he’d asked she said she had plans with friends and took a taxi in to work. But she hadn’t made it to the lobby before him and she had no reason to get off at another floor. It might be time for them to readdress all the things they were leaving unsaid.

Dawn stumbled as she dashed out of the lea line. She cursed ineffectually as she hopped on one foot and tried to resituate the canvas flat that had started to come off her foot when she tripped. Once she’d slide a finger in and pulled it up over her heel she started running toward the keep. Cresting the rise she heard a cheer go up as her family caught sight of her and she careened down the hill barreling headlong into JT who scooped her up and swung her around before handing her off to her brother Paul. Her Dad said, “We thought you wouldn’t make it”

Once her feet were firmly on the patio she started to hug all round. Everyone had obviously been having a good time all day but she had made it before sunset, barely and that was what counted. When she finally made it to the parents she just rolled her eyes and said, “Anders, of course. I say I have to leave and he thinks I’m running home to my cat.”

“You don’t have a cat,” Jeremy said.

“I know, right?” She laughed. “He’s like a needy toddler. One of these days when he going to delay me down to the wire and I’m just going to disappear right in front of him.” She accepted the special brew her Dad handed her and added, “You see if I don’t.”

Dawn barely had time to greet everyone properly when a bell started to peel that she hadn’t heard since her own standing. None of the Family, or any of the children of the people who lived and worked at the Keep had been of age last year. They still celebrated midsummer, but it wasn’t the festival it was when someone was standing. Waiting at the edge of the stone terrace, Paul and JT exchanged a glance. For the last time, would they be truly identical, barefoot they stepped off the patio out onto the hard desert ground, and walked solemnly to the crest of the hill.

As the sun sunk below the horizon, the wind died down. And then, an eerie hush blanketed not only the crowd on the terrace, but the whole surrounding desert. From the west she saw dark clouds spill over the San Jacinto Mountains like a dam had burst, while the eastern horizon burned with a relentless light, despite the sun having just set in the other direction. Through it all there wasn’t a breath of breeze or the slightest sound. The clouds took the shape of a herd of thundering black horse, charging together muscles bunching and colliding, pushing against one another, manes whipping into each other’s eyes which looked like many facetted gems of jet.  The light’s form was flapping wings of innumerable doves, overlapping feathers; the beaks, eyes and feet all polished and gleaming white. Throughout it all as the flock and the herd drove from the horizons to the inevitable collision high above where her brothers waited there was no sound.

Dawn could only hear the beat of her own heart pounding in her ears as they crashed together, not comingling, not turning grey, shattering like two mirrors and raining shards of shrapnel down on her brothers. She felt Gary lifting her up and back before she realized she’d started toward them. RJ took the hand she wasn’t gripping Gary’s forearm with and with his other hand took a firm grip on Gary’s shoulder. Held firmly to her brother’s chest she could feel, but not hear, the harsh, breathing as he gasped in the same shock she felt. But there was no sound, no tinkling of breaking glass or the ragged breaths of the waiting family, no sound to the cry their mum must surely have made when the sharp dangerous pieces of black and white, dark and light, rained down on her baby boys. No men, they were men now, and gods and they would stand their ground before the lea lines and fight, and die if need be, to defend the realm.

When the last shard hit the ground and the others seeped away, vanishing like the lea lines when you stepped between the walls; sound returned. Sobs, perhaps her own, ragged breaths drawn from her brothers, but the first words came from Jeremy, “What the actual fuck?”

Their dad took off at a run not waiting for his sons to return to them. He slammed into them grabbing them both and holding them close. She could hear murmurs and soft chuckles from the twins but not actual words. The three of them returned to the stone floor of the terrace. Dawn was drinking in the sight; she hadn’t looked any different, except for her godmark on her ankle. But the boys did; JT was incandescent, he couldn’t stop smiling his eyes seemed a darker blue and Paul was paler, his eyes lighter, his hair a shade darker but still blond, his smile instead of joyful seemed predatory and wolf like.

“Strip bitches,” RJ called, “Let’s see what you got, and where.

Dawn felt Gary huff out a laugh and he finally released his death grip on her. She felt oddly bereft and a little unsteady on her feet. Stumbling forward she threw herself into their arms.

She heard, “Is she crying?”

She knew it was JT and felt grateful he left the ‘again’ off that observation and she muttered into Paul’s chest, “I thought you were going to be killed. Does that happen? Have the gods ever said, nice vessel but no thanks, and just blasted away?”

“Don’t be such a girl,” Paul said.

That comment overlapped RJ’s, “not that I’ve heard, seriously the shit you think of.”

She let go and wiped her eyes while the boys were hugged by the Senora, and then a ripely pregnant Sonia, and finally by Jeremy and their mother.

JT only had to take off his shirt. But his godmark ran in a half circle at his collar bone along the top of his rib cage and resemble a torque of king. Paul’s mark was similar but ran just below the base of his back, the bottom part of the torque centered on his tail bone.

There was no rush to the library, everyone just turned to RJ. He had committed all the known signs to memory and had contributed greatly to the bulk of knowledge contained in the Keeps library. His thesis in the mortal world paled in comparison to what he would compile in his life time. Upon receiving his first doctorate he declined teaching in favor of researching all the factually verified and rumored details about all the pantheons.

“Well stop being such a drama queen, spit it out,” Gary said.

RJ rubbed his palm across his goatee, glanced at the newest gods and asked, “Either of you know.”

“We know,” Paul answered with a smirk, “but we wouldn’t think of stealing your limelight, great wisdom.”

RJ stepped forward and pulled JT into a hug and then held him at arm’s length and proclaimed, “Hail, Lugh, high king and god of light and rebirth.” He performed the same move on Paul and said, “Hail, Donn, god of death and ruler of the underworld.”

The twins moved through the crowd accepting congratulations and talking briefly with everyone. For Dawn’s standing it had mostly been just the Family, but her brothers had grown up running around the desert, getting into trouble, attending classes with all the children growing up onsite. Tonight, every member of the staff except for security was rotating out from their shifts to have a chance to greet the new gods. All the touching and hugging determined two things, JT ran slightly warmer than normal or normal human, and Paul was pretty much not running any temp, at all like a corpse and it was hard to find his slow, faint pulse.

Although she was happy for them, Paul seemed so young to be death. And death sounded like a rather horrible and dangerous thing to be god of. When he made his way back around to where she was he dropped down to sit on one of the low walls and looked up at her. It struck her again how his eyes were somehow a paler blue than they’d been before his god mark appeared. His smile was softer too, probably because she looked like she was going to cry. All the brothers hated that.

She forced a smile. He laughed, not really buying it and stood back up. He’d always been taller than her, as long as she’d known him, even as a gangly fifteen year old. Now he was as tall and broad as they’re father. The same corded arms and she’d been right that first day she met him; he had a truly wicked smile, most of the time. It promised bloody mayhem, pain and well, death.

“So,” she ventured. “You’re death. Congratulations?”

He laughed again and picked her up in a hug that whooshed the air out of her and spun her around before setting her back on her feet and saying, “I kind of expected it. It makes sense.”

“Not to me, you’re Paul, skinny, all elbows, Paul, who always gets the last biscuit, someone else’s bacon and the first brownie.”

“I’m still him – not so skinny any more thanks to all that food – but I’m still me,” He said. “Don’t be sad. I’m not.”

“So, you’ll be death. Going around doing… dead things?” She asked.

“I am Death. I am a god. I will be doing god things. Specifically guarding the lea lines, that’s what we do.” Paul said. “Come the spring thaw in October, I’ll be doing it in Antarctica.”

“Are you serious? McMurdo? You’ve wanted down there forever,” Dawn said. Paul had practically eaten up every film or book on the Antarctica for as long as she’d known him. According to the other brothers he’d been on the kick since he saw a documentary as a child. He’d taken a lot of teasing but The Senora had said he and Dawn were alike in that they knew what they wanted to do and were eager to get started. The other children Senora said had not yet found their passion.

“I’ve got a contract to try it for a year,” He said. “Mum knows a woman; Inuit, has been down there since it opened, her names Molly she has a doctorate in environmental science. She knows about me, she’s cool with it. Well she’s cool with me using the lea lines and said she’d cover for me if there’s a call to battle and with me keeping an eye on the lines at the bottom of the world. This,” he stopped and looked up, either appealing to a power on high or really just coming to terms with being death. “God, I hope this doesn’t throw a wrench in the whole shebang.”

“You being death, or you being dead,” Dawn asked. “Cause, you’re going to have trouble passing physicals. You still look okay but your pulse and well, your body temperature is kind of..”

“Room?” He said, and shook his head “No I just remembered, Doc Molly’s Sedna. I just – two rulers of the underworld from different pantheons shoved in a small area; even if one of them can book it through the lines? I can’t image it’s ever been tried before. I’m going to have to skype her and advise her of this cock up.”

“It’ll be okay.” Dawn said, trying to be positive and hardly believing he was going to live so isolated. Lea lines or not it wasn’t like she could pop in to see him like she could everyone else. She supposed they’d notice strangers swinging in for a visit during a winter storm or anytime really.

Later after she congratulated JT she sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder and said, “Are you going to be okay?”

“Me? I’m fantastic,” he says.

“No, you egg,” she pinched his side, “with Paul being in Antarctica.”

“Egg? Really, with the vocabulary we expose you to that’s the best you can do?” JT said, “If I suffer separation anxiety I’ll just use the tracks.”

“You can’t just show up; they only fly people in once a year I think,” She said.

“It’s not like I’ll stand out we’re identical,” he reasoned.

“No, not anymore,” she said, sadly.

“Think I should do what RJ did, grow a beard, so I can be the evil twin,” JT said, probably trying to cheer her up.

Dawn looked up and tried to imagine him with any facial hair. “Is that why he did it? I can’t imagine you wanting to cover your pretty face,” she said, reaching over to pinch his cheek.

And then she bolted away because, boys. They were all so predictable. Call them pretty and they had to assert their manhood in some way, like chase their sister around and threaten to throw her in the pool.

She lost him and wandered over to one of the lounge areas where Jeremy was massaging Sonia’s feet.  She didn’t want to ask if Sonia’s baby was Jeremy’s, mostly because the Senora was Sonia grandmother and the Senora had practically raised Jeremy so well it was weird. But Sonia was lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds and Jeremy was love, youthandpoetic inspiration so if you were going to put those two remotely near each other you would most likely get babies. They were both pretty easy going about most subjects - especially sex - that made other people squirm, so Dawn just braved it out and asked, “Will the baby be, well, mine. My sibling,” Dawn asked.

“Sister,” Jeremy smiled up at her.

Sonia rubbed her belly and added, “Soon - from my lips to gods’ ears soon.”

“Are you excited?” Dawn asked. “Can I baby sit?”

“I’m too tired to be excited,” Sonia said, “My first girl, if I could hand her to you now I would.”

“I’ll be excited for both of us,” Jeremy smiled. “Ocean doesn’t spend enough time at the Keep and it’s been too long since we’ve had a little one around.”

He really was kind of adorable, and Dawn was relieved that she could think that now without any urge to jump him. He absolutely loved babies, anyone’s babies. And babies loved him. She originally thought it might be like Anders persuasive, magnetic thing but Jeremy could sing a crying baby to sleep, or distract a toddler from teething, and it all seemed pure Jeremy as opposed to any power of Aengus.

“Daddy, can we change into other things?” Dawn said.

“Like what?” he asked.

Dawn asked, “Trees? Or I don’t know animals.”

“Well, I can’t,” he said.

Sonia said, “Tezcatlipoca can become a jaguar.”

“I don’t know him,” Jeremy said. “What makes you ask?”

“Anders said something, the way he does like he’s joking but I think he was serious. He said that the official story was his mom died in a car crash but that she had wanted to be a tree. So I was wondering, could someone just decide to become a tree?” She said, perching on the corner of the lounge nearest where Sophia was sitting.

“Fucking Norse,” Jeremy muttered.

“She left her child to become a tree?” Sonia said, her hand cupping her belly.

“Four children.” Dawn said. “The oldest was twenty one but the youngest would have been about six.”

“It’s like their whole pantheon is feral. I’ve talked to your mum about this and we should just take their kids from them. You know they have this ‘tradition’ where they don’t let the kids know anything until after their hosting a divinity,” Jeremy said.

Sonia spat out a curse in Spanish and said, “I can’t imagine – Ermes, you remember me at fifteen? Eighteen? If I hadn’t known there were forces outside of me, that what I was feeling was preparing me for something, if Mama and Abdula hadn’t told me to prepare-” she cut off, waiving both hands she lapsed into Spanish. Dawn was considering getting those Rosetta Stone discs, really she was the only one besides Mum who didn’t speak fluent Spanish. It wasn’t like they used it to talk over her or keep secretes, there were just apparently emotions and concepts that could not be expressed in English. Even Dad spoke what the Senora called precise school boy Spanish, although when the Senora wasn’t around he demonstrated that Daddy had taught him all the truly filthy phrases.

“Look at Paul, he was wandering around clueless for years after he was marked. Unarmed, unready, if something had recognized him, he’d have been defenseless. Not to mention leaving, Dawn unaware she was likely to be marked. Something must have happened to the damn Norse – something where they lost all sense of community, family – maybe they are feral. Maybe something wiped out all the adults and a couple generations of kids grew up blind and ignorant,” Jeremy mused.

“But,” Dawn started and scooched closer to Sonia as if the dark thoughts were bringing with them a chill, “someone – surely someone from the other pantheons would have helped. I know we all pretty much have to stand alone in our own bailiwick, but if something happened and the Irish were annihilated. The Aztecs, the Hawaiians, even the Intuits and the Greeks would step in and see that the children were cared for, safe, and aware of what was likely to happen when they stand at midsummer.

“Because they know us,” Jeremy said. “Know of us, that’s a step above Norse. They’ve always been pretty insular. I’m pretty sure the fucker that knocked up ma was Norse. He probably didn’t even know she was a demigoddess – or didn’t care. I’m pretty sure their kind put demigoddess on the same level as mortals. And they think mortals are shit.”

“All the power, none of the responsibility,” Sonia said. “They never were much use; most of their area of responsibly was just cleaning up their own messes.

“They don’t – I don’t know, have any sense of obligation – they don’t protect mortals?” Dawn said.

“The Aztecs watch the skies and stand ready to defend, our kind watch the tracks and make sure traffic between the realms is controlled and within the boundaries of the treaties. I think the Greeks hold back some barrier between alternate timelines, not sure about the Inuit, RJ would have more info on all of this,” Jeremy said. “But the Norse, when that asshole Loki isn’t stirring the pot are just watching for signs that some of their previous bad decisions don’t rise up and bite them in the ass.”

“Like what?” Dawn asked.

“An on-going war with the giants, subjugation of the dwarfs, Jörmungandr, Fenrir; Loki wasn’t called the mother of monsters for nothing and old Odin just used Earth as a dumping ground for anything he didn’t want cluttering up Asgard,” Jeremy said.

“Daddy, I don’t think Anders knows any of this,” she said. “His only connection to the community, besides me – and we still don’t really acknowledge that we’re both anything other than mortal, is his younger brothers, I mean there’s a cousin I met once but he’s not near and the older brother and he may as well be dead to each other – I have no idea what the story is there but Ty said that they haven’t spoken since Anders turned twenty one.”

“Maybe their godhoods were incompatible,” Sonia said. “That chaste goddess from the Greeks, she and I can’t even be in the same room – it is a catfight waiting to happen.”

Dawn sighed and said, “I’ve been avoiding it. But – I may have to put my cards on the table with Anders – I thought, after he met Daddy, well he never wanted to talk about it. I just thought he knew – but if they grow up without any sort of frame of reference and no one sticks around to show them. I know he knows what he can do, with the persuasion, but do you think it’s possible he doesn’t know he’s a god.”

“He knows,” Jeremy said. “I think you’re right about no frame of reference, but he knows it isn’t just some special ability, he knows why he can do what he does, but he doesn’t know what being a god entails. And I’m pretty sure I terrified him, and not because he thought I was going to throw a punch, but because he could sense my godhood.”

“Bring him around,” Sonia said. “You’re young man should meet your family.”

“Oh my god, no,” Dawn said. “He is not mine. I don’t want him. It would be like sleeping with Gary – they both have the same sex drive and lack of filter and – just perish the thought.”

Jeremy laughed, “I’m pretty sure that was you’re mum’s reaction to me. In fact, if I remember correctly she said ‘Men; under forty are like dogs. They step on your feet, pee on the floor and if you don’t pay enough attention to them they ruin your favorite pair of boots.’ And then we spent four days in her hotel room finding creative uses for clarified butter.”

“Dear God,” Dawn said “It wouldn’t be like sleeping with Gary; it would be like sleeping with you.”


	12. Baby we can talk all night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later – 5 years pre-series

Ander strolled down the busy, blustery promenade of Botany Town Centre. He’d be glad when the days started getting longer and the weather improved. He spotted the boys, clustered together around a donut wagon instead of scattered and doing market research surveys but it was after five and he was here to pick up their clipboards and survey sheets.

He knew he was overpaying them for the hour or two since school let out but it was better than just handing Axl the money and it might inspire Axl to get out and get a job of his own. Anders had had a part time job at fifteen and Axl would be sixteen soon. Zeb spotted him first and waved, alerting Axl, Jerome and Hector to his arrival. Dawn had proclaimed that the Kellys believed strongly in nepotism so whenever there was something that worked around Axl’s school had Anders give him first refusal. Now that George was a fixture his cousins or whatever they were got added to that list.

Andres paid them in cash and bought them each a bag of small hot donuts from the older woman who was cooking them in the oil bath before asking who needed a ride home. Axl said Hector, who was older than them by a few years and whom Dawn thought they should hire as a general dogs body, was going to give them a lift. The unspoken part of what Axl said was that Val and Mike would find out about Anders dropping him off, as even Zeb lived too close for him to be comfortable with the suburban grapevine not passing the info along to concerned parties. Axl was old enough to get into the city by himself now but Ty still took care of picking him up and dropping him off when they went out together.

Anders considered just leaving the surveys in his car and bringing them into the office tomorrow, but he planned on hitting a club tonight and had nothing scheduled tomorrow before noon. If he took them into the office George and Dawn could do whatever they did with them and not have to wait for him to come in to the office.  Besides he needed to go home and change and the office was on the way.

Once on site, when the lift doors opened Anders was greeted by George standing there waiting to get in.

“George,” he said, “all locked up?”

“Dawn’s still there,” George said, “See you tomorrow, Anders.”  He stepped on as Anders stepped off.

The glass doors between the office and the lift was closed but not locked. As he entered he heard an accented male voice saying, “Clearly you and I have very different perceptions on Katabatic winds.”

Dawn replied, “And you couldn’t call.” Anders was surprised; usually that tone of voice only got directed at him when he’d blown off whatever she’d told him to do.

“Like if it was too risky for the lea lines you really think I could get sat. service,” the voice said.

Anders wandered over toward where Dawn was talking to her computer. He set the surveys on her desk. Peering over her shoulder the computer screen was filled with a head and shoulders of a young blond, with the shadow of either the start of a beard or he just hadn’t shaved in a day or so, his eyes, even in the poor light of wherever he was skyping from were a clear pale blue.

“I was just worried,” Dawn said. “You’ve never not answered or not come and I thought-”

“You thought I was dead,” He replied and for some reason laughed, “who’s this?”

Dawn looked up at Anders over her shoulder and turned back to screen, “this is Anders, I’m sure you remember me complaining about him; Anders, my little brother, Paul.”

“This the one you banned Gary from banging?” Paul said, leaning back grinning and reveling he was in a thermal shirt of some sort that blended in with the gray background of wherever he was.

Dawn slapped both her hands over her face while Anders preened and Paul laughed.  When her face was less red she lowered her hands and said, “and this is why I don’t like to introduce family to the people I work with.”

“I’ll make it up to you, how’s Wednesday – weather permitting. Lunch? On me?” Paul offered, “I better let you go.”

“I’ll clear my schedule, I want details,” Dawn said as he shut down the call from his end.

As Dawn was shutting down her computer and gathering up her things Anders said, “I knew your brother was gay.”

“Gary? He’s not gay. He’s pansexual.” Dawn said, “And for the last time, he wasn’t hitting on you.”

“Yes, he was,” Anders said, watching Dawn roll her eyes. They had revisited this about twice a year since Gary had healed him. “I know when I’m being hit on.”

“I know my brother, Anders.” Dawn said, grabbing her satchel and heading for the door. “If Gary hit on you it wouldn’t be a handshake that lasted too long, you would have been pressed up against a wall.”

Anders choked out, “Subtle,” while he was locking the office.

“Subtle is not really something any of my brothers do,” Dawn said as she summoned the lift.

The doors opened and as they stepped on Anders said, “Their all like that?”

“Paul’s twenty two, you remember what it was like, you’re a god and the world is at your feet; it’s like you’ve rediscovered sex all over again.”

“Yes,” Anders said, as the lift lowered to the lobby he wondered if they were finally talking about this after so many partial starts over the years. He tilted his head and gave her a sideways look before stating, “But my poetry bends mortals to my will.”

“Anders, Paul is six foot two and built like a professional athlete, he doesn’t need to bend anyone to his will, they just throw themselves at him,” Dawn said.

“Fancy a drink?” He said, as they walked out of the building.

“Ta, you drive,” Dawn said, and waited for him to open the car door.

After Anders eased out into traffic, Dawn said, “My brother JT told me about this television show, two brothers, riding around in this sweet ’67 Impala, who hunted demons and ghosts and all sorts of things like that. Anyway, he said that when the show was being cast, the actors used to practice their lines while shooting pool in bars in LA. Even, with it being movie capital of the world, the wait staff was all for having them carted off as crazy.”

“So you think I couldn’t convince a waitress we were pitching a television show about Norse Gods in Auckland,” Anders said.

“I’ve seen you convince people of more unlikely things,” She said. “But would you know who all overheard you? Not everyone who thinks you’re crazy lets you know they do.”

So, my place?” Anders said. “Where we won’t have people overhearing.”

+

It was a short drive, in the years they’d been working together; Dawn had been by to feed his fish on numerous occasions. Why he never had Ty or Axl do it was beyond her. But she had long since added his flat to the places she could find on the lea lines. In fact once she’d forgotten and headed over in her slippers and pajamas only to hear him having a root in the bedroom while feeding them. She had fled quickly. The next morning he’d shown up to work saying he’d got an early flight back. She’d spent that whole day wondering if he’d walked to the kitchen afterward, and been surprised by the flakes still floating on the water surface.

Dawn had expected straight vodka, given that was Anders preferred drink. But he’s uncorked a bottle of chilled white wine and they sat in the living area.

“Past time don’t you think?” Anders said, acknowledging that they were indeed going to air the unspoken.

Dawn hid her smile in her wine glass and after enjoying the aroma said, “Don’t look at me, you’re the one who’s so secretive – is it true they don’t let you know what you are until after you’ve become one?”

“You knew?” He said. “Before you were twenty one?”

“Yes, I can’t imagine not knowing – I mean I didn’t know what my designation would be before hand – some of my brothers were sure who’d they’d get -  but really I would have thought I was losing my mind if I hadn’t been expecting it,” Dawn said.

“I got struck by lightning, had my favorite jacket destroyed, was told Mum wasn’t dead but had buggered off to become a tree to keep herself from either killing herself or her kids or both, and got banished by Mike all in one night,” Anders said, “Best birthday ever.”

“Why would he banish you? Did you have incompatible godhoods?” Dawn asked.

“What the fuck are incompatible godhoods?” Anders asked.

“You know, one god killed another god’s kids or mate or father and the whole hate, vengeance thing carries over to the vessels,” Dawn said. “Or you know a virgin goddess in the same room as the goddess of lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds – that just asking for a dust up.”

“I plowed his wife,” Anders said.

“Your god plowed his god’s wife or-” Dawn asked.

“His wife – not that I wanted to I did it for him,” Anders said.

Dawn smiled and said, “Okay. So that happened. But that was years ago-”

“You really knew since you were a kid?” Anders said.

“God no, I found out the day I met my Dad, just after I turned eighteen,” Dawn said. “He pretty much said, ‘hi I’m your dad, I’m a god, let’s get you measured of a sword.”

“Sword?” Anders said.

“The Great Smith, Goibniu,” she said, “We’re a working pantheon, Anders. We have to do things beside root models.”

“Such as?” Anders asked as he refilled her glass.

Dawn said, “We guard the lea lines, well I don’t personally, I’m support and administration.  But for generations we’ve enforced the treaties, and hunted anything that comes through from other worlds.”

“You mean like aliens,” he sounded skeptical.

“Oh, no the Aztecs take care of extraterrestrials – such as they are, it’s been over eight hundred years since Earth had any one arrive via outer space,” Dawn said. “But you’re Norse, right? You know about the nine realms that Yggdrasill, connects. There are more than nine and the lea lines can travel to all of them, not everyone out there can see them or knows how to use them, much like here but those who can  and sometimes undesirables go exploring, or invading and we guard the walls to this world.”

“Well, we don’t do anything as far as I know, keep in mind Olaf’s our family oracle so it’s entirely possible he forgot to tell me or hallucinated that he already did,” Anders mused. “But the only instructions I got was not to let anyone know I was a god.”

“Daddy thinks something happened – to the Norse,” Dawn said leaning forward. “A natural or unnatural disaster; if all your vessels were killed at the same time, there wouldn’t have been anyone to train your children and whole generations would get chosen without any sort of guidance. “

Anders was quiet for a while, examining his wine glass like it had answers. Finally he said, “Well let’s make this official, Anders Johnson, Bragi, god of poetry.”

“Dawn Kelly, Boann, river goddess – there’s also a bit about a cow whose milk made the milky way, but I’d prefer to leave the cow out of it,” Dawn said.

Anders laughed and said, “Better than poetry, Ty says it’s the gayest god ever.”

“Hey, given that this world was created by being spoken into being he should show respect,” Dawn said.

“What? You’re defending me?” Ander said.

“Actually,” Dawn said primly, “I was defending Daddy. Love, youth and poetic inspiration, and the biggest badass you’re ever likely to meet. Really?” She added with a suspicious look, “All that blarney comes from poetry? Well, Mum always said that bards were the most powerful mages humans ever produced without divine interference.”

“Yea Bragi, whose poetry bends mortals to my will,” Anders managed to convey a bow and flourish while seated.

Dawn laughed and said, “Well it works pretty well on goddesses too, I seem to remember having no intention of working for you. So you mean all your ill-conceived and highly inappropriate decisions can be laid solely at the feet of Anders and not some raucous party god.”

“Raucous party god,” Ander protested, but looked as if he enjoyed the designation.

Dawn sipped her wine and leaned conspiratorially close again and said, “well you know what the other pantheons think of you Norse knobs – feasting, fucking, fighting – you’re the frat party gods.”

Anders leaned back roaring with laughter, and crowed, “I want business cards with that, Bragi, god of poetry, feasting, fucking and fighting by appointment.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Dawn said.


	13. It was a hot summer and the beach was burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ty and Paul --- Lucky 13 because really – someone should be getting laid by now – the maturity rating for this chapter has been upped --- Five years pre-series

Ty woke with a surge of adrenaline and almost started shaking with panic. They had been making out on his couch, not the most comfortable place to fall asleep and in all honesty it never occurred to him to worry about it, since he hadn’t expected to make out with a guy. He felt the bulk of solid male spooned along his back. Ty had lost his clothes somewhere during the afternoon, lost in the feel of Paul’s hands and mouth.

Ice patterned the floor, coffee table and was under them on the couch. Tentatively, Ty reached for the hand splayed across his stomach, it was frozen solid and the nails were blue. It wasn’t just that he had killed someone, this was Dawn’s brother. He couldn’t call 111, he couldn’t call Anders, and no way in hell would he call Mike. He sat up with a shuddering breath. Ty dragged his hand over his face and said, “Oh, shit.”

The day had started normal enough; he’d stopped by Anders around lunch time to thank him for sending a commercial client his way and see if he wanted to grab a bite. Only to interrupt Dawn following Anders around the office saying ‘not today, you promised’. There was a grinning blond seated at the conference table watching them like they were performance art. Dawn had introduced him as her brother Paul and Ty ended up subbing for Dawn at lunch.

Paul didn’t live local and had stopped to visit. Their lunch had been normal, nothing like a date, Paul worked at McMurdo Station and was gifted at spinning stories of the Southern Lights and the way the stars looked during months of darkness. By the end of their lunch Ty was half way convinced he should apply for a job. He genuinely liked the man. This made Ty think Anders was more of a prick than normal since it wasn’t like he was just visiting from South Island.

Given that Anders was monopolizing Dawn and that she was the only one Paul knew in Auckland, Ty had suggested they hang out at his place until Dawn called to let him know she’d been set free. Despite the shark like grin Paul had given him at the suggestion, they had started out at a respectable distance apart when they had sat down on the couch. But, a couple bottles of beer and they been all but on top of each other.

At their first kiss, Ty was so busy mentally berating himself that he wasn’t gay that his body, on autopilot, just responded.  Although he’d never done anything like this before and wasn’t sure of the protocols and signals. Instead of wondering what he had said or done that had prompted Paul to think that he would be okay with another man mapping the interior of his mouth with his tongue, maybe he should have said, stop, or at the very least wait. Or that was what occurred to Ty when he felt that Paul had his hand inside Ty’s trousers and on his cock before Ty even realized Paul had undone them. Moments later that inner voice was oddly quiet when six feet plus of well-muscled blue eyed blond was kneeling in front of him and helping to slide down Ty’s trousers.

It was such a complete one eighty from being with a woman. Normally he spent a few dates getting to know them, making sure that they were comfortable with him before asking if he could kiss them, or more. And okay, he tended to get friend-zoned all too frequently before he could work up the courage to suggest becoming physically intimate.

One minute they’d been discussing work out routines, the next Ty had been too stunned by how much Paul reminded him of Anders at his most confident to answer the question he’d asked which seemed to come out of blue. Maybe his openmouthed shock had been answer enough when Paul had said, “Given all the time you’ve obviously spent turning your body into a fucking work of art, why do you keep it covered?” This lack of response had somehow translated into ‘go ahead jump me’.

Ty looked down at the naked corpse on his couch. Paul hadn’t been as pale as he expected someone who lived in Antarctica to be but now his skin had an almost blue cast. Dark lashes casting shadows under his eyes. Ice glossily reflected light from high cheekbones; he almost looked like an ice sculpture. Ty stroked his cheek. Fingers gliding down over the light stubble that was now pale with frost. Stubble which Ty had a vivid memory of brushing the inside of his thighs.

Ty slid his fingers down to see if he could feel a pulse at the base of Paul’s neck. He then shirked like a girl and shot to his feet when Paul’s eyes snapped open.  “Holy Fuck,” Ty gasped out and then said again, “Holy Fuck.”

Paul stood beside him, stretched with his hands over his head, he sounded of ice crackling, his color slowly fading back to a lightly tanned white. He licked his lips, the blue replaced by a dusky pink.  Paul cleared his throat and asked, “You okay?”

“You’re dead,” Ty gasped.

Paul sighed, “Yeah. That happens.” He looked around, scratching his stomach and added, “The ice is new though.”

There was a buzz of vibration from Paul’s jeans which were still bunched on the floor next to the couch. He bent over and pulled out his phone and answered, “Aurora, Simon Lagree done with you?” He paused, grinning over at Ty as if he hadn’t just been a frozen corpse a moment ago. “Well you have to eat. Did you order in lunch or did he just make you work right through?”

Paul stretched again, this time without the noise of ice cracking but it did show off a body that had Ty reconsidering if what had happened earlier was a fluke or if Anders had been right all these years. “How about I bring some authentic Tex-Mex, a few ghost chilies will lay him out and you can escape?”

Ty, who had started to sort through their scattered clothing, volunteered, “I’m not sure Auckland has ‘authentic’ Tex-Mex.”

After ending the call, Paul tossed his phone back on to the pile of his clothing. He reminded Ty more than a bit of Anders again, in that he seemed completely unconcerned with his nudity. And also in that he dove into sex so fast. Ty didn’t normally sleep with women on the first date, but maybe men were different. He also wouldn’t have just stood here staring at a naked woman even if they had just made love; it somehow wasn’t polite.

Before Ty could avert his eye, think of something to say that didn’t sound stupid or do much more than cover himself; Paul spoke. “On a scale of one to ten, just how freaked out are you.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m freaked out,” Ty said.

“Un huh,” Paul drawled. “If I reached out and touched you right now you would literally jump right through the roof you’re so high strung. I’m not going to eat your brain man, just chill.”

“Chill? Really, like I haven’t heard that-” Ty started defensively.

“Hey I didn’t mean it like that. The sex was good, yeah?” Paul said offering a rather sweet smile and actually reached out toward Ty but didn’t actually touch him. “And then you jump up nearly stroking out - Is it the guy thing, the god thing or the dead thing?”

Ty started to respond. Swallowed, looked away, looked back heaved a sigh and said, “Can it be all three?”

Tentatively, as if he wanted Ty to know he could pull away Paul reached out and took a half step forward. Paul placed both hands on Ty’s hips, and took the last half step that had them standing almost hip to hip, cock to cock. Paul tilted his head and bent his back enough to kiss Ty. It wasn’t the heated passionate probing from earlier. It was tender, the barest brush of his lips, and then another with only a hint of his tongue running along Ty’s bottom lip.

“I like you. Not just because you’re hot, you’re fun, you’re interesting, you laugh at my jokes,” Paul whispered.

Ty was torn, it felt incredibly good. It had been four months since he broke up with last girlfriend. It also felt incredibly awkward, where was he supposed to put his hands when it was a man in his arms, or was he in his? He still saw his old girlfriend once a week, because they worked better as friend according to her. He’d dated three women in the time since they split, none more than three times. He missed kissing, the warmth of a human body, just touching.

But despite just receiving the most mind blowing blow job of his life, some part of him was balking that it was a man, a hard muscled male body, and then Paul slid his hands, back from Ty’s hips across his back, down over his buttocks and squeezed. Ty gasped, almost involuntarily, and tipped his head back, Paul immediate took advantage – and this was a damn inconvenient time to think again that he was just like Anders – and began to kiss, suck and nibble down his neck, back up and then across his jaw to the other side and then started over again.

Ty’s arms lifted and his hands grabbed Paul by the hair before he really knew what he was doing. Ty forced his head up and kissed him. This time it wasn’t passive or stunned, Ty took control, and backed Paul to the wall. While Ty plundered his mouth, fucking it with his tongue, he thrust his hips into Paul hard enough that he was sure they would both bruise. Pinning Paul and reaching for his hands to hold them out from his body against the wall, Ty then rutted against him.

Rather than push him off, or complain in any way, Paul made a needy keening noise and gasped out, “Oh yeah, yeah, that’s, that’s good, really good.” Paul breathed in ragged gasps and made another sound, this time more high pitched and said, “This would be even better with lube – not that I’m complaining. Really, don’t stop.”

“You just never stop talking, do you?” Ty said shocked and embarrassed by how he sounded both angry and deep. Hod was close to the surface, closer than he’d ever been outside of his sculpting room.

“I really don’t,” Paul said. “And if that makes you wanna punish me, I might be up to try it - especially if you use the deep growly voice. Me like that.”

And just like that they were both laughing, and coming. When he finally caught his breath, Ty said, “You’re a lunatic.”

“I really am,” Paul said, offering the sweetest smile. “And you’ve just met me; I’m much, much worse.”

Ty rolled over so he was leaning on the wall and not on Paul; Paul made a sad noise, swiped a fingerful of their combined semen off of his stomach and popped the finger into his mouth. At Ty’s dismayed look he said, without removing the finger, “What? I’m dead I can’t catch anything.”

Ty rubbed his face and said, “About that-“

Paul cut him off with a mumbled, “technically it’s not necrophilia if the corpse makes a pass at you.”

“You’re appalling; it’s like fucking my brother,” Ty said.

“Yeah, I heard that about you Norse, there really isn’t much branching off on your family tree, huh?” Paul said, eyes alight with mischief and added, “You want to take round three to a bed or should we dig up some food for the siblings?”

Round three was in bed. And afterward, since his shower would in no way fit two large men, Ty let Paul go first. Somehow, in the short time it took for Ty to get cleaned up when it was his turn, Paul had acquired four stacked aluminum containers unlike any Ty had seen from the restaurants in the area. The smell was spicy and warm. They were roughly eight by eight by four and from the steam seeping out where the lids vented at the corners quite hot.

“Think I should have grabbed some ice tea to go with this?” Paul asked.

“I’m pretty sure Anders wouldn’t drink it,” Ty said.

Paul seemed to be trying to find a way to hold them all with one hand and finally crooked his arm around them like a large awkward football. He said, “Dawn’s the same way. Is that a New Zealand thing?”

“Do you need a hand with those?” Ty offered.

“I want them to stay hot, besides its not far,” Paul said. “Ready? Give me your hand.” Ty must have hesitated or looked surprised because Paul rolled his eyes and said, “You just had your dick in my ass will you stop being such a girl. Whatever you do, don’t let go. And try not to kill me again, or freeze the food.”

And he tugged Ty forward. Ty didn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t this. It was dark, and he could no longer feel the floor beneath his feet. He could still feel Paul’s hand in his pulling him toward him. The murky greyness around them wasn’t impenetrable, but by the time he started to make out a faint pathway, the scene shifted. He was in a stairwell; the firm landing beneath his feet, bad lighting looked familiar. Ty was pretty sure it was the stairwell that lead up to Anders office.

He followed Paul up the single flight to the door, and opened for him since he was now holding the trays with two hands. Ty greeted George, who was packing up for the day. Paul wandered ahead; the conference table was covered with papers and still had a plastic bubble topped salad container off to the side. So they must have some sort of lunch at least.

“We’re not interrupting sex are we?” Paul asked loudly and received smack with whatever Dawn had been paging through.

“That smells wonderful,” Dawn said and began tidying the table. She handed Ty some folders and pointed to her desk and he took them over.

Paul placed the stack on the first clear spot and said, “Senora says you work too much.”

“You didn’t tell her I stood you up did you?” Dawn said.

Paul laughed and said, “You didn’t stand me up, you gave me Ty. Best present ever.”

“You did not,” she hissed.  Anders came out of the toilet in time to see Ty turn red.

“You do know I was just joking, he’s not really gay,” Anders said in Ty’s defense.

“What did you bring?” Dawn asked in an overloud attempt to change the subject as she crossed to the wet bar to get silverware

“Cabito en sangre, your favorite refried beans and rice and some grilled peppers,” Paul said and started to hand out the containers.

++

Once paper towels and utensils were distributed and Ander opened a bottle of wine, the Johnson brothers dug in. As the silence of them eating grew Dawn cast covert looks at Ty and Paul. Paul seemed very relaxed and sitting even closer to Ty than the differences in American and New Zealand cultures could account. Ty on the other hand looked like he might snap in two he was so ridged. Dawn slipped off her pump and very precisely placed the arch of her bare foot against Anders ankle.

Anders lifted his head looked directly at her and she had to raise an eyebrow and hope the look said ‘no I am not requesting a root, pay attention’ she then widened her eyes, tilted her head slightly toward their brothers and nodded. Anders took a sharp look at Ty, a suspicious look at Paul, looked back at her and widened his eyes and firmly shook his head no.

“This is really good,” Ty said, still holding himself stiffly.

“Glad you like it,” Paul said. “I didn’t think to ask if you liked goat.”

Anders stopped eating and shot an exasperated look at Dawn. She smiled and said, “Anders and I have an agreement that I never tell him what’s in the food I bring from home.”

“So, Ty has this cool icing thing he does, like one of the X-Men. Have you seen it?” Paul asked conversationally.

Ty looked appalled, Andres snorted and started picking at his goat again and Dawn said, “Paul that might be a bit private.”

Anders chimed in, “Hod, god of all things cold and dark, Boann, river goddess. He nodded between them and then tilted a bow at Paul, “Bragi, god of poetry.”

“Donn, death and the underworld,” Paul smiled. “River goddess? You know that translates to fertility don’t you?”

“Really, Paul,” Dawn said and then addressed Ty. “That does make the whole refrigeration business make sense though. Good choice.”

“You’re both,” Ty started and then shifted his gaze between Paul and Dawn.

Ander said, “Irish, different pantheons.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Ty said.

“It’s private Ty, like sexuality, only to be shared when all participates feel comfortable,” Anders said, “And since when are you gay?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Paul said, “putting my cock in a cunt won’t make me straight.”

“Paul Kevin Kelly,” Dawn said.

“Can I just say it’s disturbing that the first guy you go for is basically me,” Anders said.

“In your dreams shorty,” Paul said.

“How did you we get here?” Ty asked.

“Figuratively or literally?” Paul asked.

“You didn’t.” Dawn said. “You brought him on the lea lines without so much as a by your leave. You get more like Dad every day.”

“Ty thinks Antarctica sounds interesting, I was thinking taking him down for a visit, introducing him to Doc Molly,” Paul said and turned to Ty, “The ice thing would work down there, especially if you’re immune to cold. I don’t die but I still freeze solid at inconvenient times.”

“You can’t just have him show up. You don’t get new people this time of year,” Dawn said.

“And we’re skeleton crewed, the year-rounders keep to themselves this time of year and that way he can see if he likes it in time to negotiate a contract by spring.” Paul said

“Paul. No one gave him to you. You can’t just keep him. He’s an adult and a god in his own right and has a life here,” Dawn said slowly as if she was trying to take a sweet from a child.

Paul blinked and cocked his head and said, “I know that. It’s not like I’m gonna kidnap him. He has a choice. But I can be hella charming when I want to be.”

And he turned a blinding smile on Ty, who looked down and mumbled into his dinner, “I wouldn’t mind seeing Antarctica – I mean I don’t know what I’d do there, but still…”

Anders chuckled into his wine glass and when Ty glared at him he said, “Who’s the gayest god ever now?”

Oddly enough, Dawn though as she watched the byplay between the two brothers that teasing seemed to leech much of the tension from Ty’s body. Having brothers of her own she was aware that they rarely put sentiment into words and their poking at each other was how her brothers often expressed support and solidarity. It made no sense to her but then she was a girl and didn’t have a twin so this kind of affectionate harassment was like another language.

 


	14. sirens are screaming, and the fires are howling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season One Episode one – yes it’s about time
> 
> POV shifts Dawn – Mike – Anders & some of the events from the party happen out of order due to Anders arriving at a different time

 

Ty and Anders stepped off the lift and greeted George. After Anders confirmed that his schedule was clear for the rest of the day and that Dawn wasn’t expecting anyone he told George to take the rest of the day off and locked the office.

Ty greeted Dawn with a hug and kiss on the cheek.  Anders rolled his eyes and moved past them to the wet bar built into the wall near his lounge area.

“Well, no visible wounds,” Dawn said. Her tone was light but she had that assessing look like she really had expected him to show up bruised and beaten.

Anders bypassed his habitual vodka and held up a bottle of white wine. Dawn nodded and Anders pulled a corkscrew out of one of the drawers to the side of the bar and after opening it pulled down some stemless wine glasses.

Ty sat on the chair and Anders placed the glasses on the end table in the corner between the chair and the couch. Dawn sat on the couch and after Anders poured took her glass quaffed about half of it.

“Something’s changed. You’re different. You weren’t like this after Ty’s whatever-it-is.” She said.

“The whole game may be changing,” Ander said leaning back against the bar.

Anders had that look, the one he would get when Dawn could see he was plotting and could not make out his end game. In their first years together it would have made her think he was planning something awful. Not that painting a volcano was a great idea, but Hector and Jerome had jumped at the chance. Well they had once reassured it would not harm the environment, be permanent and the offered hazard pay. At least it had been George supervising instead of Dawn. When the earthquake hit she was sure that the three of them had managed to trigger an eruption somehow. No, she trusted Anders and was almost always willing to see how his plots played out, at least in the PR world. His family was always another story.

“Changing how?” Dawn asked, reaching over for to refill her glass, “God stuff or family stuff?” She shot a look at Ty to say he could chime in at any time.

Anders made a face that said they were intertwined and then said, “I won’t know for certain until Olaf’s conscious.”

“Drugs or did your brother punch him?” Dawn asked, glaring at the brothers in turn.

Andres made a scoffing huff of a laugh and said, “Axl’s godding was something to see – way bigger than Ty’s.”

Dawn raised an eyebrow and ventured, “Isn’t Ty a pretty important god? Or is it his mortal vessel Paul’s so impressed with?”

Ty blushed and looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. Anders lost his calculating look and leered at his brother’s discomfort which was Dawn’s intent. Anders threw himself down on the couch next to her. Ty glared and Dawn watched his face change, he and Anders were having one of their unspoken conversations. She had felt guilty when Paul dragged him to Antarctica since he was the closest family Anders had, but the brothers skyped and bitched over the phone and Paul and Ty even stopped by and brought dinner to the office periodically. And as she always reminded Anders it was his fault they got together.

Their silent conversation must have ended because Anders spoke, sounding oddly cautious, “We’re still waiting for confirmation – but Axl may be Odin.”

Dawn turned her head quickly, eyes wide, “That’s not good.”

“What do you know about Odin?” Ty asked.

Dawn didn’t take her eyes off Anders. She wasn’t sure if Ty knew as much about her family as Anders did; given that Paul and he were pretty isolated in Antarctica. But she did trust Anders.

“Odin only takes a vessel when your pantheon has need of him,” Dawn said. “Mum said Odin is like the Morrigan, a failsafe. Something is coming to a head in time for a potential world ending event. If he is Odin; your whole pantheon may have to step up to do whatever it has to.”

Anders didn’t break eye contact and waited a beat before asking, “What exactly does that mean?”

“Our pantheon gets Badb, Macha, Neman, Anand, or Fea but never the Morrigan unless something big is going to breach the walls. And because that’s what our pantheon does, when someone gets called as Morrigan, we all prepare for battle.” Dawn said. “Do you know what your pantheon does?”

“Does?” Ty said. “We pretty much just try not to let anyone know we’re gods.”

“Daddy once said, well, keep in mind it’s entirely possible that his father was Norse so he’s biased, he said you mostly watch for signs that some of your previous bad decisions don’t rise up and bite you in the ass,” Dawn said, looking back and forth from one brother to another.

“Any idea what those decisions were,” Anders asked.

“Most of the stuff from the myths, giants, dwarf, wolves, serpents,” Dawn said. “Something about Loki being the ‘mother of monsters’ and Odin using Earth as a dumping ground for anything he didn’t want cluttering up Asgard.”

“Any time frame on this disaster?” Anders asked.

Dawn bit her lip and sighed, “I can call RJ see if he knows anything or has heard anything. I know Mum was nearly forty when the biggest of the battles occurred, so she had almost twenty years to prepare. She’d built the Keep, given birth to both sets of twins and recruited an army – not just gods but mortals; and many of them died.”

“What happened?” Ty asked.

“A five year siege, three separate realms formed an alliance to try to breach our defenses,” Dawn said. “We won obviously, what with no invasion and subjugation of the planet.”

They finished the bottle and opened a second. Ty started making noises about wanting to stop on the way to Mike’s and pick up a hostess gift for Val. Dawn offered him her car, since Paul had dropped him off at the office earlier that day.

“You’re not coming?” Ty asked Anders.

At the same time Dawn asked Anders, “Will I need to swing by the emergency care to pick you up later?”

“Better you head over now,” Anders said to Ty “I’ll stop over after they let their guard down and you’ll have plausible deniability.”

Ty took the keys and started to leave but stopped to listen when he heard Anders say, “Dawn, I need you to do something. I need you find me the phone number of one of the vodka girlies.”

“Really, Anders?” Dawn said. “Nothing says I didn’t bother to get you a gift like models. Surely if you put your mind to it you could find something even raunchier?”

+

Axl’s party was in full swing and Mike just hoped that the property damage would be kept to a minimum. “Promise me the next one of these we throw will be for our own?” Val asked.

Of course he agreed, he liked the idea of kids, but it’s really getting old, the way she always had to make that distinction. Axl was his, not theirs. Olaf was family but not her family. He shared everything with her, except the burden of his godhood. He’d opened his home, shared his life, and shared their joint vigil over the years with Robb. He’d paid for Robb’s mum’s funeral. Supported Val while she got her teaching accreditation but his family was his; he had yet to give her a family it seemed.

“What’s he doing here?” She said bitterly. Mike didn’t even need to look that tone is only reserved for Anders.

He soothed Val as best he could and then pushed off to go have a chat with Anders. Anders being Anders showed no remorse when he’d plowed Val, raped her really and still was as unapologetic as he was the night it happened. Their private chat out in Mike’s workshop went the way it always did with Andres pushing and pushing, verbally setting off every one of Mike’s emotional landmines. He had always been able to do that even long before Bragi was in the picture. Anders had a way of spotting weaknesses and applying pressure second to none, it’s not Bragi it’s all Anders. Even at nine Anders could see through their old man’s bullshit and their mother’s sorry justifications for treating them just as badly as their dad.

So Mike was not the least bit surprised when he’s got his hands fisted in Anders’ collar and his body pressed between the wall and his own that Anders asked, “You wanna make a bet, Mike? I bet you’re too chicken to take it.”

Mike was however shocked at just what Andres proposes, “How about this? I got five hundred says you’re too afraid to use your powers on Val, I bet you’re not even man enough to bet her that she will give you the full true story of what happened that night. Now it’s not open ended. One week. You have one week and if you come and tell me you’ve won this bet – the money’s yours.”

+

Later that night, Ty and Anders were walking out of the hospital, having left Olaf and Mike with Axl as he recovered from his arrow wound. As they stopped by where they parked both cars, Ty was suddenly hugged from behind by Paul. Dawn, in jeans and a cable knit jumper walked up to them as if coming up from the street. She held out her hands for the keys to her car as Paul said, “Ready to head home?” in Ty’s ear.

Ty looked and Anders and said, “I think we should go to your place.”

“It’s a little late,” Anders said.

They had covered Axl being assaulted with an arrow when they were calling for Ty’s ride back to Antarctica, but the brothers had been unsure on how much to share outside the family. Paul took the keys from Ty’s hand and said, “You want to all go to Dawn’s then – she’s more likely to have food.”

Since Mike had had much longer to indoctrinate Ty in the ‘tell no one’ school of godhood, Anders was surprised he was the one pushing to disclose the prophecy to anyone outside the family. “My place,” he said, “this really calls more for booze than food.”

As Ty and Paul got into Dawn’s car and drove off, Anders opened and held the door to his car for her. Dawn was watching him with that same assessing look. It was kind of adorable how protective she could be of him, given that the majority of the time she wanted to hit him with things herself.

As he pulled out of the hospital parking lot he said, “The arrowhead, which will remain embedded in Axl by the way, shows up as a heart shape on the x-ray, the last part of the requirements to be Oden is two hearts.”

“That’s unsettling,” Dawn said.  “Mind you I did expect tonight to end in a trip to the hospital. Glad it wasn’t you – or the result of brother on brother violence. Do you know who this woman was – or why she’d try to kill Axl?”

They arrived at Anders to find Ty and Paul already inside. Anders lifted a wine bottle and showed it to Dawn, she shook her head and he brought her a glass of ice water; the brothers had vodka and Paul whiskey. They discussed the signs and just how much they didn’t know.

“We should head back,” Paul said as it crept past 2 AM.

“Let me know if Mike is looking for me, he thinks I’m in town for the week. I’m worried he’s going to want me back here due to this god stuff.” Ty said

“I don’t understand,” Dawn said, “Why can’t he just call you and have you come when he needs you?”

Anders and Ty exchanged another telling glance and Anders was the one who said, “We – Ty and I decided that since Axl was too young to be told about the god stuff and Mike has a sever aversion to gods in general, we didn’t tell him.”

+

“What exactly didn’t you tell him about?” Dawn said. She didn’t like the hard edge to her voice but Paul was looking distinctly uncomfortable about the subject. “Did you not tell him you can be to and from the station every day if you wanted, did you not tell him about the lea lines, that Paul is a god, or does he not know you’re with Paul at all.”

Ty looked guilty but said, “Dawn, he wasn’t happy when I abandoned the family to go to work somewhere I’m – as far as he knows – trapped for most of the year.

“Hence telling him the truth, that you’re in love with my brother and he can get you home at a moment’s notice,” Dawn started, “you and Paul have been together almost five years Ty, or are you waiting for something better-”  Dawn cut off in frustration as Paul pulled Ty to his feet and they vanished.

+

Anders threw back the rest of his drink, it never failed to be unsettling to see them step though the world walls. And the cowards had left him with an angry Dawn who turned her ire on him, “so help me Anders if Ty is toying with my baby brother’s affections I will see he never gets another erection again in his life.”

Anders gasped, and choked out, “Can you do that?”

“Fertility goddess,” She hissed. “You - I would make suddenly fertile; him impotent.”

“You’re supposed to be supportive,” Anders said.

“Of what? Him hiding Paul like some dirty secret,” Dawn asked.

“Of him telling people about himself when he has it figured out and when he’s ready,” Anders said. “Ty’s still not comfortable with the idea he’s gay.”

“He’s not,” Dawn said, “he’s at the very least bisexual. Is he afraid Mike will beat him? I mean I’ve never met Mike, but Paul could take him,” Dawn said.

“Don’t be so sure, Mike’s Ullr, god of the hunt covers all games and competitions, he’s good at fighting,” Anders said.

“Paul’s death, he can make people die without even touching them,” Dawn said.

“You win,” Anders offered. “Are you staying? Its late you’re tired, you shouldn’t drive.”

“I’ll take the lines, it’s a shorter trip than to your kitchen,” Dawn said, “I’ll come by and get my car tomorrow.”  

Anders stood when she did and just as Dawn started to turn he took her hand. Dawn stopped and waited. “There’s one more thing we didn’t mention.”

“What?” Dawn asked.

“Keep in mind that this is coming from Olaf – but he’s all we got,” Anders said.

Dawn said, “If you’re trying to be dramatic and scare me – good show.”

Anders scrubbed his face with the hand not holding Dawn’s and said, “Not intentional. The thing is the last time there was an Odin – he died before being reunited with Frigg. At the time he died the largest natural disaster in New Zealand history hit Hawk’s Bay and killed every member of his family – god and mortal.”

+

Dawn tightened her grip on his hand and gritted her teeth. She didn’t know what to say. He was the one who was good with words. She had a barely suppressible urge to drag him through the lea lines and wall him in the Keep while leaving her parents to guard him. She hadn’t even liked him when they met but somehow he’d crept around her good sense over the years and had become her best friend.

“That’s not going to happen,” she finally said.

“Some sort of Irish vision?” Anders said.

“We’re a working pantheon. We don’t farph about waiting for signs; we plan, we organize and we battle,” Dawn said. “Just don’t discount your resources. RJ just finished is third doctorate, and the next time you have a brother bleeding on the ground you have a healer that you think fancies you.”

She felt him tug on the hand he held and pull her closer. She let go of his hand and threw her arms around his shoulders, turning her face into his neck and inhaled the wonderful living male scent of him. It was combination of the wood sage and sea salt body wash he’d been using since she’d gifted it to him their first Christmas at the firm and some undernote of pure Anders. There were times when he was close like this, and well - not talking - because that usually resulted in her wanting to brain him with something, that she could swear she felt her uterus contract with longing for a child.

Reluctantly she stepped back, firmed her resolve – she still had almost a year until she was thirty and the plan said she would wait until then. Out of all the men she had dated or screened over the years Anders was still the front runner in who would make the best father for her children – provided the thought of becoming one didn’t give him a stroke. She knew if she suggested it now he’d just assume she thought he was going to die. He was such a drama queen at times.

“I’m on your side, you know that, right?” Dawn said.

Anders let his hands slide from around her waist, bowed his head and then looked her straight in the eye, “That I do know.”

+

At the same time 4,572 kilometers to the south at McMurdo Station, two men maneuvered about their tiny dormlike quarters in a dance they had performed hundreds of times over the years. They changed clothes, lifted work surfaces to fold into the wall and pulled down a queen sized bed. What had once been a set of bunks and limited storage now did double and triple duty with high end transformative furniture from some company Sonia’s father owned in New York. Paul had no problem with months of darkness, gale force winds and cold that never went away, but he did miss his California king.

Ty hadn’t said anything since they left Anders. Ty was a brooder. Paul knew that from almost the instant they’d met. Over the years Paul had learned to recognize the difference between Hod’s dark outlook and Ty’s pessimistic fretting. Occasionally Paul and Dawn compared notes about the Johnson Boys, and their feral gods. They really were feral. Neither of them had been trained in the physical or mental disciplines prior to becoming a vessel. They didn’t know how to meditate to figure out if an action or a desire with prompted by the god or the vessel. Even Dawn, coming late as she did to the family and the training had a firm hand on Boann. If Dawn had given into Boann immediately she’d have a pack of kids by now. As it was, Dawn negotiated with Boann, drew up a plan that said, this is my life and this is how I will give you what you need. Given that of all of the Johnson brothers Anders seemed to have the most control over his god, Paul figured either Dawn had given him subtle tips or Anders was a very good fit as Bragi’s vessel.

From what he’d been able to piece together from the stories Anders and Ty had shared, their home life, such as it was, had molded them into perfect vessels for their particular gods. Anders had had to learn to lie and manipulate both to keep himself and his brothers safe from their parents and to keep the authorities from looking to closely at their home situation. Ty had forced down the understandable rage of a child into dark fretting over just when and how the next crisis would occur. His lover did not handle his own anger well, and seemed to feel guilty about it to the point of turning it inward against himself.

Paul wasn’t sure if it had been design on their parents’ part or if their parents were equally inept at discerning the difference between the god and the vessel. For a goddess of prosperity their mother had left them in dire straits when she pulled a runner. As far as anyone could tell she hadn’t even killed their father before leaving which would have meant that if he showed again while any of the boys were still minors they would be at his mercy. Not that any woman in Paul’s family would abandon children unless it was through death in battle, but they all made sure the kids had full emotional, legal and financial resources available if it happened. Dawn probably had already established a trust for kids she hadn’t even conceived yet.

Hearing Ty heave a sigh, Paul smiled to himself. It was like a signal saying that Ty had brooded in silence enough and was now ready to brood aloud. Paul stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around his chest. He liked how they fit together like this. Ty liked – well not the warmth but room temperatureness – of his body, or just the solid weight to lean back against. Pressing a lingering kiss to Ty’s temple Paul waited for him to speak.

“I think they want me to move back,” Ty said.

Paul involuntarily tightened his hold, as if to hold Ty with him just a little longer and said, “They?”

“Mike, Olaf, Axl,” Ty said, “I think Anders is the only one who thinks I should stay.”

“Anders being the only one who knows you can stay and still be there in a moment’s notice if any more of your family ends up in the hospital,” Paul said.

Ty sighed and said nothing. Time was measured in the slow, almost beat – three per minute last time Gary checked – of Paul’s heart. When it seemed as if Ty would never speak Paul breathed in trying to memorize the feel of his body, his scent and make a clear and perfect memory; because he was pretty sure that no matter how firm his hold was Ty was slipping away.

Finally Paul whispered in Ty’s ear, “I have an idea.”

“Is it about sex,” Ty said.

“Right now, you and me, go get this god of the hunt. We go to the park where your brother was shot and track down the bitch. I question her – where you and your squeamish pantheon don’t have to be troubled by the results, and then I take care of her and everyone who may be working with her.” Paul wasn’t sure if the words were from him or Donn. Due to how intertwined they were he often wondered if he was lovers with Ty or Hod or both, but he was normally able to differentiate between his own and Donn’s desires.

Ty was stiff and still in his arms. Whether it was at the thought of showing up on his brother’s doorstep with a god from another pantheon or a reluctance to contemplate murder was a toss-up.

“We can’t do that.” Ty said

Paul sighed and said, “Okay. But even if we remove torture and murder from the equation; in about an hour we could easily have a name and address and a credible witness who watched her run off after taking the shot. Let her explain to the police what she was up to.”

The silence stretched to an uncomfortable length and Paul redirected his energy into not shaking Ty until his teeth rattled. He already knew Ty was going to shoot the idea down. Ty dithered and worried and a month or two from now if all this crap was still raining down Ty would  lament not taking action when it all started but apparently too many years worrying about provoking more violence in his home made inaction Ty’s default setting.

Finally, turning in Paul’s arms, Ty said, “Let’s just go to bed.”

“Whatever you want,” Paul said and kissed him.

  



	15. We were lying together in a silver lining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season One - Episode 2, 3, 4 & 5 
> 
>  
> 
> I should mention - that now that we are up to the series timeline there may be spoilers if you have yet to binge watch the whole series - but this will diverge from cannon - so its only half spoilery

 

Anders refilled his glass and said “Despite my attempts to get Axl in gear on the search for Frigg he’s determined to-”

Ty cut in, “Mike says your attempts involve pimping him out to ever hot blonde model in Auckland.”

“And do I get any thanks,” Anders said, throwing his arms wide.

Ty snorted into his glass and said, “Maybe you need to back off – let him try on his own.”

“Yeah, that worked well, he walked up to a librarian and told her he was Odin,” Anders said, “You do remember we’ve already had one attempt on his life. This library chick turned out to be an online gamer who plays Frigg as a character.”

Ty and Anders had been catching up on the updates to the ongoing Johnson saga for a while and Dawn had one ear tuned to their conversation on the off chance that there was something sinister in all the random meetings Mike was calling. Of the whole Johnson family only Anders could scrap together enough survival instinct to keep a gold fish alive. The lack of pursuit of whoever shot an arrow into Axl baffled her. Her family would have found out everything about a threat and neutralized it by now.

Ty asked, “How did Axl cover?”

“Apparently the sword fight with Sjofn, the goddess name of our archer, distracted the other gamers at the party and nobody asked why he had no knowledge of the game – or you know if he was barking,” Anders said.

Dawn was glad George had gone to represent them at a networking event. Regardless of George being a member of the community, so to speak, she felt that Ty and Anders needed the privacy to discuss what was going on in their family and Axl’s godhood. It was one of the reason she as currently transcribing some of her shorthand notes from her portfolio into word docs on her computer. It gave her the opportunity to catch up, look busy and listen in on the brothers. If Anders had wanted the conversation to be truly private he would have taken it back to his flat. She tuned out the conversation for a while as it seemed to be more about mundane things and mutual friends.

“Does Mike even want to have kids?” Anders asked.

“I think it safe to say if they’ve been trying IV treatments they want them-” Ty started.

“Val wants – which I still don’t get.” Anders said, “She’s a teacher who’s surrounded by students she does nothing but bitch about, she wanted each and every one of us out of her house as soon as possible

Ty jumped in, “It’s different – she wants kids of her own-”

“Mike, has already raised a family, she’s bankrupting his admittedly limited funds on her pursuit of a child. All the while it’s her probably unable to get knocked up due to her deep seated psychological issues-” Anders said.

Ty cut in “You’re biased.”

“Yes, she’s biased me. You’ve never heard her in the ‘not my family’ mode – we should be family – well, not me obviously – but you, Axl, Olaf, if she really was in love with Mike and not using him to fill in for everything Coma Rob is currently incapable of-”

“Stop trying to make this about you, Mike wants kids – God knows why – show him some-” Ty started.

“Support? I’m not the only one in our family that knows a fertility goddess. Any reason, you, the kind sensitive gay brother, hasn’t suggested hooking up Mike and Val with a way to get pregnant that doesn’t deplete their retirement savings.”

“What? Who? And I’m not gay – it’s complicated.” Ty said.

“You’ve been bonking the lord of the underworld for how many years and you’ve never discussed who his sister is?” Anders asked.

“Dawn?” Ty asked and Dawn didn’t turn from her screen as she typed but wanted to roll her eyes. Ty was so thick sometimes. She’d only met three of the four Johnson brothers but they all seemed blinded by tunnel vision.

“Dawn – Boann – anything? You’re immersed in the Irish pantheon – way more than I am since I’m not plowing one of them on a daily basis” Anders said. And Dawn almost paused her typing because why would he add ‘on a daily bases’. Not that she hadn’t considered it; it wasn’t as if anyone could work with Anders and not think about sex. He did fill out a suit well and had an irritating habit of probing for more sex details about her dates than anyone but Sonia.

Ty stuttered out, “I remember something about a river.”

“And you say I don’t pay attention to anything but myself. Self-absorbed much? Anders said.

“You are such a prick. Seriously she’s a fertility goddess? – and she works with you aren’t you worried that she’ll.” Ty stopped on his own and made an odd hand gesture.

“No you knob – but you should be, seriously. I get that for some reason you care what people think and what labels they apply to you – but if you love this bloke then Mike, Olaf and Axl and even me can just suck it up.” Anders said, “And if you don’t – love him – you are playing with fire mate.”

Anders phone rang and he took the call. Ty wandered over and milled about in front of Dawn’s desk. Dawn did not stop editing her notes and without looking up, said, “You want me to help your brother, who treats Anders like crap, to impregnate his wife.”

“She’s a wonderful woman-” Ty started.

Dawn stopped typing, pinned Ty with her glare, “She plowed Anders, cried rape, and insisted he be banished from your family. Your brother Mike, after choosing her over his own blood kin, now seems to think that same kin should be at his beck and call.”

Andre came over, “Dawn, I promise I’m not sexiling you – but Axl, Olaf and Mike are on their way over – there’s some kind of emergency.”

“What kind of emergency?” Ty asked.

Anders said, “We have to wait for details but it involves a police raid on Axl’s flat this morning.”

Dawn packed up her satchel and said, “I’m taking the rest of the day off before I curse one or more of your brothers impotent. Call me if you need me, Andres.” She turned from her desk and vanished into the wall.

+

“She’s really angry with me,” Ty said.

Anders leaned against the corner of Dawn’s desk. Moving a framed photo of her four brothers and her clustered around a hot pink yank tank; about which Dawn had gleefully spouted various engine stats that made no sense to him. It was taken at an annual event called Race Wars that was as close to a temple and form of worship to her Dad that existed in modern times - at least according to Dawn. The other was a photo with her and her sisters, two Hawaiian girls one Dawn’s age and one a coltish preteen along with a dark haired and dark eyed child of the Aztec pantheon who was about three years old at the time the photo was taken. The California desert was the backdrop.

Anders said, “Dawn is very loyal. Family means everything to her.”

“She loves you, you know,” Ty said.

“Ty, I am not you. You fall in love with everyone you’ve ever dated, with everyone you’ve ever plowed,” Anders said. “I’ve have fucked a lot of women – multitudes. Some of it great, all of it involved getting my partner, and yes on the occasion, partners off – and getting myself off. It’s fun, it’s a release – and it has all the emotional connection of a game of squash. It is not a symbolic union of physical bodies to represent the mystical connection of our souls. It’s a physical act that feels good, is good exercise and releases endorphins.”

“You know you’re a pig,” Ty said.

Anders set the photo back in place and said without venom, “And you’re a fucking judgmental prick.”

“Me?” Ty said, glancing toward the door. Anders had locked it to keep their earlier conversation private and had not unlocked it since Mike called.

“You have this idea or ideal of what love is or what a relationship is and you have been trying to shoehorn every person you’ve thought you loved since puberty into it,” Anders said, “and failing. And you blame that on yourself, on Hod, on all the women you’ve dated. Maybe, just maybe no one person can fill all the roles that you think a normal, socially acceptable lover has to. Maybe that’s why so many marriages crash and burn – You love Paul. And you’re going to blow it because you can’t fit him into this fucked up fantasy you created when our parents were slowly killing each other and trying to take us with them.”

“Fuck you, Anders we weren’t talking about me,” Ty said.

“You think because I love Dawn, I should force both of us into your ideal. And yes I do – love her; she is the Wendy to my Peter, the Pepper to my Tony, and the best damn thing fate has ever dropped into my life. I would kill for her, lie, cheat and quite possibly die for her,” Anders said so calmly. Ty’s eyes widened at his unexpected confession. “What I will not do is try to force our feelings for each other into some narrow, prudent, socially acceptable box. I like sex. She likes that I like sex and that I enjoy my body and that I like that she enjoys her body. She also knows that being my partner here, what we’ve built here together, means more than a quick root from some slag whose name I never bothered to get.”

A rap on the glass doors accompanied by Mike scowling face ended that line of conversation. Anders ushered them in and after getting the story about the drugs, which Axl had lost along with Zeb. Having watched Zeb and Axl get into an abundance of asinine situations since they were kids Anders thought he was justified in ordering Axl to go home, do nothing, and wait for Zeb to turn up and to call him as soon as Zeb was back.

Ty and Anders hit the hospital and once Anders got the name of the woman Ty recognized he gave Ty a significant look and suggested he go back to the station and spend some time with his man. Ty pulled out his phone to call, but paused before dialing. Ty asked, “You really don’t believe that there’s just one person out there that you’re connected to that, if you meet them it’s everything.”

“Sounds horrific,” Anders said and at Ty’s exasperated look he added sharply, “I’m serious.”

Ty looked up and Anders took pleasure in the fact he’d at least startled the sanctimonious look that said that Anders was too base and venereal to understand. “This storybook soulmate stuff – is as offensive to me, as my plowing for pleasure is to you. I just show you the courtesy to let you choose what you want – I only said something because you are not living this fantasy with one of the brainless mortals you used to date. You’ve pulled another god into this candy coated world of mystic melding of your fucking chakras or whatever. I love you too, you knob and I don’t want you killed. But you’re a big boy and up until now I’ve let you bumble around trying to figure it out on your own but you still want it. Five years with him and you’re still looking for some fucking codependent relationship where you isolate another being until one or both of you spiral into madness-”

Ty cut in, “Wanting to build a life with someone, to be everything, friends, lovers, family-”

“What do you and I know about family?” Anders sighed. “Seriously, I think a man and woman, or two men, or two women can be monogamous and happy – they can marry or not, breed or not. But wanting to have one person be all things, your lover, your best friend, your soulmate – it’s not healthy for either party. It’s what’s holding you back from telling your family about the man who has worked at your side and slept in your bed and listened to and loved you the past five years. He’s never going to stop loving you, but you may finally hurt him enough that he leaves you – just to save himself.”

“Paul and I are none of your business,” Ty said.

Anders tilted his head forward in acquiesce, “Agreed. But Dawn and I are none of yours.”

After catching Zeb and Axl in the parking lot, Anders left Ty with them to go take care of things.

+

Watching Anders drive off Ty glanced over at Axl. Anders could be such a prick. It was obvious that Anders’ attitude about both Axl actions and intelligence had hurt Axl. Ty had been going to call Paul and head back to the station, but instead said, “Axl. After you drop Zeb off can you drive me somewhere?”

Axl looked confused and then Ty watched it first dawn on his little brother’s face that Anders had been Ty’s ride and that wherever Ty wanted to go – Zeb was not to come. Ty almost face palmed and would have if he hadn’t remembered what a hard time he’d given Anders when he’d cringed at how Axl had no hope of developing a poker face. As much as Ty loved their mother, even he had learned to conceal the soft spots from her vicious barbs.

Zeb made noises like he was okay with coming with them but Axl must have figured it was god stuff and left him at their flat.

“Why didn’t you go with Anders if we were just coming here?” Axl asked as Ty opened the door to Anders flat.

“Anders is off hunting your friend Sjofn,” Ty said, “and, thanks to this debacle I’m going to have to listen to ‘I told you so’ in regard to my vetoing hunting her down the night you were shot.”

“Anders wanted to hunt her down then?” Axl asked, as he stood in front of Anders fridge perusing the contents.

“While I’m sure Anders would have been on board with the suggestion,” Ty said, and he almost felt dizzy at the idea he was going to tell one of his brothers. “It was a friend of mine – another god - who suggested we should go back to the park that night and track her down.”

“You know other gods? Does Mike know?” Axl asked, as he pulled out the makings for sandwiches and a couple of beer bottles.

“Yes and no. I’d appreciate if you let me break it to Mike, if and when it’s necessary,” Ty said. “He’s… from down at the station – so it might not be relevant.”

When Axl went back to use the toilet, Ty took the opportunity to call Paul and let him know to meet him at Anders.

Axl had just returned in time to gape in amazement as Paul walked out of the brick wall at the far side of the kitchen, with a large crate on one shoulder and a couple wine bottles in his free hand. Watching as he placed the bottles, and what appeared to be a case of his father’s home brew on the kitchen island, Ty briefly entertained trying to pass Paul off as just a friend. But looking at Paul, clad in tight black denims and a sleeveless, silver on black, tank top that said ‘What would Brian Kinney do?’ Ty figured that even Axl could not be that clueless.

“He just walked out of the wall,” Axl said.

Paul said, “Actually I walked out of thin air, in front of the wall.”

“Paul, this is my youngest brother, Axl,” Ty said. “Donn, god of death and the underworld, meet Odin.”

They shook hands and Axl said, “I didn’t know we had a god of death.”

“You don’t. You have a goddess. Hel. Wow, it’s like you guys were raised by wolves, huh?” Paul said.

“Paul.” Ty said, sharper than normal and was rewarded with a blinding smile from his lover as if he had been joking.

“Seriously, dude, if I was Odin and people wanted me dead, I’d wanna know the major players, like who I pissed off when I was Allfather. Loki’s a good bet, or Ullr or even Frigg herself.” Paul said as he sorted through the sandwich fixings still out.

“Why would Frigg want me dead,” Axl asked.

“Well I never read the Edda but according to my brother, the marriage of Odin and Frigg symbolized the transition or conquering of a matriarchal society by a patriarchal one. It was a political marriage, Frigg, Fulla, Freyja, Gna, Hlin and an L one, I think, were from the conquered society and were resentful to some degree. Odin ceded some power mostly symbolic. But the Aesir, the butch war gods of the conquering society, or maybe even whole pantheon, were willing to leave the swishy earth mother, marriage, babies and agricultural powers to the Vanir who is where your Frigg comes from,” Paul said and bit into the sandwich he just made.

“Why didn’t Olaf tell me any of this?” Axl asked Ty.

Ty said, “He might not know.”

The brothers bickered quietly while Paul chewed thoughtfully.

Finishing his sandwich, Paul put the wine in the fridge and dug though Anders’ liquor stash and produced a bottle of bourbon. “Come on kid have a seat.”

“Paul, maybe we should check-” Ty started.

“Fuck that man, people are trying to kill him, that cunt was telling people he was an internet rapist, and now drugs – he doesn’t have the luxury to stumble around blind like you guys did,” Paul said. He poured for himself and Axl, waited for Axl to take a drink and then smirked at the face Axl made.

Paul jerked his head to indicate Ty should join them and after Ty grabbed a bottle of vodka for himself he sat next to Axl.

“Listen up. I know you think it’s something like a lottery – you turn twenty one and stick your hand in the fishbowl of godhoods and shazam – there you are – Ullr, Hod, Bragi – and for all the other gods in your pantheon that may be true. Except Idunn, she’s always here and if her vessel dies she jumps queue and is right back. But Odin – he doesn’t just pop up in the bin for a draw. If he shows; the shit is about to hit the fan. Maybe not today or tomorrow but within your life time you and your people will have to deal with some shit that only Odin can deal with,” Paul said his pale blue eyes glued to Axl’s and Ty knew how riveting and intimating that could be.

“You’re not alone in this Axl, you know we; Mike, Olaf, Anders, have your back,” Ty said.

Axl looked very serious and very young. Paul refilled his glass and then his own. Ty tried to think of something comforting to say. Axl threw back the two fingers of bourbon as if it was a shot and asked, “What sort of shit?”

“End of world shit, myths are myths but there are things in them that point to what the troubles could be, the world snake releasing its tail; the wolf breaking its chains; Loki attacking other pantheons like he has in the past,” Paul said.

“I thought I just had to find Frigg and we’d all be real gods with full powers,” Axl said with frustration.

Paul looked from Axl to Ty and back again and finally said, “What the fuck, dude. You are gods.”

“But we’ll be more powerful and have better control,” Ty said.

“Ty,” Paul started and then stopped, “seriously, if you were any more powerful you would explode, you have serious abilities. There is a limit to what a human vessel can handle. I don’t know what will or should happen when Odin and Frigg are reunited – but that’s not it, it can’t be.”

“That can’t be right,” Axl said, “I can’t do anything.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong ‘cause I get this stuff third hand but haven’t you tossed some people around when you get in a temper?” At Axl’s sheepish nod, Paul continued, “Could you do that before you were godded?”

“No,” Axl said.

“And didn’t you fight a trained swordswoman and not only survive but route her from the battlefield,” Paul asked and didn’t wait this time for Axl to respond before adding, “Did you ever pick up a sword before being godded?”

Axl shook his head and examined his hands. Paul said softly, “Not feeling very wise for a wisdom god are you?”

Axl looked up from his hand gave a halfhearted grin and shrugged. Paul said, “My brother’s a wisdom god. He’d tell you the first and most important step to wisdom is not feeling very wise. People who think they know it all or are sure they’re always right rarely are considering the things that they should. When you don’t feel wise you seek out knowledge and teachers and that is the path to true wisdom.”

+

As Anders sat in his car waiting for Dr. Michele Brock to leave for work he scrolled though his email and texts on his phone. He was considering his options. He didn’t like how this had spiraled. He wasn’t sure if he should call the good doctor and let her smuggle the drugs back into the hospital or call the police with an anonymous tip off. Dawn’s brother, RJ had emailed him a wealth of information on Michele and her associates. Once RJ had found the name of the woman who paid off Michele’s school loans, who was also the owner of one of Anders’ client companies, Fenrir Vodka, he had found two more women this owner was paying out of the same discretionary account. One had a history of mental problems, the other worked as a courier for another one of Andres’ clients.

With the names of four women who were likely goddesses of his own pantheon, he was more tempted to call the police once Michele began her commute to work. He had a prepaid cell in addition to his. He always kept one in the glove box. Dawn bought them in bulk with cash and they were kept in the storage area with other odds and ends that might be needed. She never said what they might be needed for, but he was glad for it now, it gave him options.

He hit speed dial one on his own phone and waited for Dawn to pick up.

“You’re up early,” was her sleepy greeting.

“Haven’t made it to bed, probably going to take the rest of the day off,” Anders murmured as he stayed hunched down and watched the doctor’s condo. “Let me borrow your conscious, since we know what a bastard I can be. Should I just scare the bitch with the idea I know who she is and what she is and can make her life really miserable, or should I have her arrested for drug trafficking and use it to scare the other three cunts who have it in for my brother?”

“You think having her arrested for the drugs is going overboard and too cruel?” Dawn murmured and Anders could swear he heard the sheets rustling around her body as she stretched and yawned.

“It’ll ruin her career and even with a good defense she’ll end up doing time,” Anders said.

“And she was willing, no eager, to visit the same fate on a twenty one year old boy who did nothing to deserve it. She shouldn’t be practicing medicine and she deserves hard time for shooting your brother with an arrow – that was an attempt at murder, Anders. Actually she deserves whatever punishment your pantheon says she deserves for trying to kill another god – you’re not killing her Anders, you’re fighting back – remember neither you, nor your family, started this. Maybe I don’t have a conscious to lend because if she went after my family, if Mum didn’t get to her first, I would crush her.” Dawn said and then added, “You do whatever you think is best; you know I’ll support your decision.”

“You are my favorite enabler,” Anders said.

Dawn giggled and said, “I thought I was your only enabler, you cad.”

Anders ended the call as Michele Brock emerged from her condo and got into her car. He grabbed the burner phone and took an alternate route to the hospital. Just because he wasn’t going to work didn’t mean he couldn’t park where he could see how this was going to go down.


	16. What's it going to be boy. Yes, or no.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ - FIRST
> 
> Season 1 Episode 6
> 
> Important Notes: Given the nature of this chapter – noncon and violent I decided I would put it by itself – 
> 
> if this is a trigger for anyone you can skip it and the rest of the story should still make sense – 
> 
> but it does impact the story and will be referred to in the future
> 
> (chapter may be skipped if you’re squimish – its Michele’s revenge – and Dawn’s reaction)

 

Agnetha of course had been furious. In that quiet controlled way she had she lamented the waste of her investment; her investment being Michele. Michele was sure that she was going to written off by her patron. She’d coasted through her part in fulfilling the prophecy with the damned arrow, if only the witless oaf had died. After her arrest on the drug charges, Agnetha had seen to Michele being released on bail, posted of course, from an anonymous donor. But Michele feared for her life if Agnetha determined she was of no value. She either had to find a new more powerful patron or a way to get back into Agnetha’s good graces. The witch had had the nerve to be impressed that Michele’s plan had been so neatly turned back on her. Michele knew it wasn’t the fool who was Odin and had seen red when Agnetha had all but purred the name Bragi.

It made a sick sense when she thought of it. Despite Stacey’s stalking and Agnetha oddly detailed knowledge of the Johnson’s and their godhoods, they had not seemed very threatening. The grandfather was a stoner, too concerned with surfing and rooting to be of any use to them. The eldest was beaten down by the pressures of life; too much responsibility and too little money. The next seemed transparent, a vain oversexed shallow man who used his powers to fuck. The last before Odin, apparently didn’t even live in Auckland, though he had been seen at the party and periodically since and he probably had the most combat useful godhood.

She wanted vengeance. She deserved it. To think she’d worked so long to obtain her accreditation – granted she didn’t like the job but she did like the respect it brought her and money it provided. And Bragi was such a tiny god - poetry, not exactly something to strike fear into the soul, not like the athlete who had the power to freeze with a touch. She just had to get close enough to see if her power was strong enough to work on him. It was also important not to let him speak to her, to bend her to his will, while she made her play. If she could bring him in, make him fall in love with her she could have him betray his brothers. He would be the easiest, she was sure she could physically overpower him if she needed to flee. As she watched the building she thought that he should be isolated as the only one of his employees she had seen enter that morning had just left for lunch.

Michele figured she had nothing to lose. She had lost her job, her license was under review. She would have had school loans if Agnetha hadn’t taken care of them. And unless Agnetha pulled a rabbit out of her hat she was going to prison. She quietly took the stairs and made sure the fire door to the stairwell made no sound as it closed. Silently she stepped though the reception area and peered first one way and then another. The conference table ahead of her was bare as was most of the decorative stone wall on the far side of the office. To the left was an empty desk with a powered down computer and a window to the right of it and a closed door to its left. To the right was Bragi, seated at his desk and paging though what looked like a tabloid magazine, she rolled her eyes. Slipping back she closed the double glass doors and quietly eased the lock closed.

Sneaking again she peeked at where he’d been only to find he was still engrossed in what he was reading. There was a bar and lounge area to the right of his desk which she checked to see if it was empty and a black board to its left. While, she hadn’t expected a heavy hitter of the pantheon; she had expected him to realize she was here. Michele strode over and grabbed him by the wrist. He stood and jerked his wrist sharply out of her grasp showing a surprising strength. He then started to talk but she clapped a hand over his mouth and started whispering in his ear. She watched for the telltale glistening to shimmer over his eyes to see if her powers had a chance of working on him.

“Anders?” It was the woman. She hadn’t come into the office that day. Michele had been sure they were alone in the office but the blonde must have had keys.

Michele quickly redirected the focus of her spell and pushed Anders’ attention to the woman. It was a wash. She wouldn’t be able to take her time and manipulate him for her purpose but she could use him as a weapon to cover her escape. And a rape charge against the bastard would start to satisfy her desire for revenge.

“Anders? What is she doing here?” the blonde asked. It was odd. It was as if she knew Michele or knew of her. “Get away from him or I’ll make you beg for death,” the voice was no longer pleasant and warm but low and menacing.

The blonde was suddenly holding an ornate dagger and blocking the way to the exit. Given that the blonde was delicate and rather prim looking Michele didn’t think it would be much of a fight but she hadn’t manage to take her fighting stance before the dagger was embedded just above her right breast. The blonde grabbed Michele by her hair and slammed her head into the front of the desktop as she gasped and doubled over from the pain of the dagger. Michele tried to kick out and the blonde raised a foot and stomped down on Michele’s knee. Michele’s vison blacked out and her ears were ringing with pain, when she hit the floor.

Michele wasn’t sure how long she lay there bleeding but she was too knowledgeable to pull out the dagger. Her knee was on fire and the sound of her blood was thundering in her ears, the taste of copper was in her mouth. She managed to rollover enough to see why the blonde had let go of her hair. Anders had the woman’s skirt up and his trousers halfway down, both of her wrists were pinned above her head by one of his hands, while the other almost tenderly caressed the side of her face as he buried his face in her neck. Michele coughed up blood and grinned in satisfaction.

As the momentum of his thrusts and the grunting that accompanied them sped up, Michele tried to stand up, using the edge of the desk for support. She heard the sound of his completion and the blonde said, “Anders, I need my hand a minute, be a love.” And just like that he let go. The blonde kissed him wet and deep and started to whisper something about taking this back to his place, since the bed would be more comfortable. Michele felt one of the blonde’s freed hands just graze her neck. It didn’t choke or even restrain her but the amount of pain going through her body intensified and changed. It was like menstrual cramps only much much worse.

Michele screamed and hit the floor again. The blonde said, “oh, hard up you useless twat. It will only get worse, you’re just starting labor.” She paused and gasped, before continuing. “Did you know,” and given how friendly and almost giggling her tone sounded, Michele though she might be talking to Anders. Anders who, when Michele craned her neck to see, had dropped to his knees and was now eating the blonde out as she said, “did you know that the longest labor on record is seventy five days?” Michele rolled over she wanted to explain that this couldn’t be labor, she wasn’t pregnant, but she couldn’t catch her breath, she thought her lung may be filling up with blood. She was surprised to see that while the blonde was still pressed to the wall, with one of her hands in Anders’ hair as he brought her to orgasm the other hand was texting on her mobile.

Her vision faded and then Michele felt a strong male hand on her and looked down to see his other hand pull out the dagger. Before her eyes the wound closed and faded to an angry red scar as he said, “Can’t have you dying quick, that won’t be any fun.”

Another man who looked just like him stood behind him, this one had a goatee and said, “I love it when they cry, makes me feel all manly.”

“I can heal your knee, just as easy and painless as I did your chest, but I’m not really an altruist and you, you’ve pissed me off. So first you’re going to undo whatever you did to Bragi.” The first one said.

The blonde and Anders were no longer rooting against the wall and Michele looked around wondering how long she’d been out. She spotted them over in the lounge area. Anders was lying on the couch, he’d lost all of his clothes and the blonde, still dressed with her skirt raised, straddled him and road him to another orgasm. When he came she sighed and cuddled down, half on top of him and half beside him, given the narrowness of the surface. She seemed to be petting him and quite worried. When she turned her attention their way Michele was terrified. There was a look of pure malice on the blonde’s face when she said, “Bring her.”

Michele was lifted; each man gripped hard with one hand in each of her arm pits and dragged over, her knee exploded in new pain. The blonde woman – goddess; it had never even occurred to her that Anders might have already had a lover, a goddess no less, who was as scary as Hel. That goddess looked her in the eye and said, “Fix this. Now. Or we will all find out just how long someone can live in labor. It could be years.”

“I can’t,” Michele gasped out, starting to try and breathe though the contraction. “I do hook ups I can’t undo.”

Anders was starting to demand attention again, pulling the blonde for deep probing kisses. She morphed back into a tender lover her hand slipping down to cup his balls to lightly tug and then slid a loose grip up and down his shaft. She murmured something in his ear that made him leer and grin. Turning her attention away from him as he started to unbutton her blouse she continued to jack him off. The blonde said, “You pathetic mewling quim. RJ – dump her naked, no ID and no money in the worse part of downtown Wellington – Gary go get Daddy and Sonia and see if they have any ideas regarding this clusterfuck – oh and Dom too.”

Michele tried to scream but something came over her head and then she was in total sensory deprivation, no sound, no light even through whatever cloth was put over her head and she couldn’t so much as feel the ground underneath her. And suddenly she was blinded by sunlight, her throat felt like she’d been screaming for hours and she was naked in an alley near a dumpster. The alley opened to a busy street about half a block away and she could see traffic going past. She stood despite the searing pain in her knee, intent on finding a phone and calling Agnetha, when another contraction hit and she fell to the dirty ground.

+

Olaf, Mike and Axl, were in Mike’s man cave at his place; gathered around a newspaper showing the story of Selma Hansen being struck by a meteor in Whangamaungamoa.

“This is a sign,” Olaf said

Unable to shake the foreboding he’d felt since talking to Ty’s friend, Axl asked, “A sign of what exactly?”

“We won’t know until we see,” Olaf said.

“I can’t go on a road trip, right now, my business can’t afford it-” Mike said.

Axl cut in, “but this could be important.”

“Where’s Anders?” Mike asked.

“I called him but it went straight to voice mail,” Axl said.

“Stop at Anders’ office, I don’t want you two going alone,” Mike said.

“I’ll call Ty,” Axl said.

Mike said, “He’s not available.”

As Olaf and Axl drove off in Olaf’s car, Axl tried Anders again and when the call went to voice mail didn’t leave a message. He called Ty’s number. There was an odd buzzing sound which didn’t sound like a phone ringing followed by a series of clicks and then Ty’s voice saying, “Axl? Is something wrong?”

“Can you take a road trip to Whangamaungamoa with Olaf and me, there was a sign?” Axl said.

“What kind of sign?” said a voice not Ty’s and muffled, which lead Axl to think he was on a speaker.

“Where are you now?” Ty asked.

Axl felt he could almost hear Ty contemplating four and a half hours trapped in a car with their granddad. He answered, “We just left Mike’s”

“I’ll meet you in Whangamaungamoa in four hours, call when you get there,” Ty said.

Axl ended the call, and wondered if that friend of Ty’s was just going to walk him there like he entered Anders’ kitchen from wherever he brought that beer. He also wondered, if next time he could just come get them as well.

 


	17. I remember when she left me on that stormy night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 1 Episode 7
> 
> Other than Stacey accompanying Ingrid to Whangamaungamoa and Ty meeting Axl and Olaf at the funeral the events of ‘Godesses, Axl, Come In All Forms’ remain the same-ish – well Ty didn’t get a broken nose – and no surf boards were injured.

 

 

“I want to see my brother,” Axl said. Okay, to be honest he had come to raid Anders’ piss stores and he shouldn’t have broken the security door but the man who met him when he opened the door to Anders’ flat wasn’t Anders. Zeb, who was already slightly pissed was pushing into Axl’s back as the man glared at him.

“Now’s not a good time, kid. I’ll have him call you,” The man said and started to shut the door. Axl slapped his hand, palm open on the closing door and stopped it.

It was the word kid that stopped Axl from pushing passed or at least trying to push passed and the accent. The man was older, shorter and had grey green eyes but the accent and the words sounded like Ty’s friend. Unlike Paul’s open and occasionally terrifying smile – terrifying mostly when he talked about killing people – this man was expressionless and yet looked like he might be considering driving his forehead though Axl’s skull.

“Is he okay?” Axl’s asked and started to feel guilty. Anders usually came whenever he called. He had never heard back from the voice mail he left before going to Whangamaungamoa, and it hadn’t occurred to him to check why. He could have called the office, talked to George or Dawn, but he hadn’t called because until he wanted to get pissed, he hadn’t needed Anders.

“Does he know?” The man asked, the seeming non sequitur was accompanied by a cutting of his steely glare toward Zeb, before he transferred it back to Axl.

“Know what?” Zeb asked.

Axl said, “No.”

A beautiful brunette whose figure turned Zeb into a drooling idiot at the speed of sight, stepped up to the man baring the door and leaned in and said, “Poor Anders, he had a seizure. You must not worry.” Her accented voice was a low, velvety purr that had Axl painfully erect and drove all thoughts of Gaia and her new boyfriend from his mind. “He is in very good hands,” she said as she all but wrapped herself around the man in the doorway, “we will take care of him. He will call you when he is well, yes?

Then, suddenly, three Andres-type women queued up behind Zeb on the landing and stairs outside of Anders’ loft. The brunette in the door way now said Anders wasn’t home. As the women who had just shown up started to protest being sent away and Zeb was desperately attempting to get their attention, Axl watched the scary man and the beautiful woman exchange a speaking glance. The guy hauled Axl inside by grabbing a fistful of his shirt and shoving him and stepped up to the three women and Zeb.

The man’s face transformed when he smiled. Suddenly he didn’t look like he intended to maim anyone who spoke to him. The group turned to him, quieted and gave him their attention when he said, “Ladies. I want to thank you. It’s so kind of you to make sure this young man gets home. Now you take good care of him – you never know what can happen to a slightly inebriated youth.” As the man spoke he herded them all back down the stairs. In the course of pissing it up with Anders Axl’d seen his brother use his powers a time of two it was something like this but not the same. Once he had them out the man came back up the stairs talking on his phone, “Just fix the door it’s like a fucking train station here.”

The man closed and locked the door of Anders flat while pocketing his phone and then turned another unimpressed glare on Axl and said, “Have a seat, kid.”

“What’s going on?” Axl asked.

“Sit down, kid.” He growled and the brunette slinked up to the man pulling on his bicep and brought the man over to Anders’ living area.

“I’m not a kid. I’m Axl – Anders’ brother and I want to know what happened to him. He doesn’t have seizures,” Axl said. He looked from the man to the woman and said, “Are you friends of Paul?”

“Eremes,” the woman cooed, “he is a boy, and he’s scared.”

Almost at the same time, the man said, “I’m Jeremy. Paul’s my son.”

 

Axl realized by the way each of them said the man’s name, that while they both had accents it wasn’t the same one. Axl took a seat on the lounge and looked expectantly at the man. The man sat on the arm chair and swiped his hand over his face. “Your brother was assaulted. That woman that tried to kill you; she was arrested but they let her out on bail.”

“Shit, I got to call-” Anders started.

“No one.” Jeremy said. “You call no one. You tell no one. You don’t get to take that from your brother.”

+

As Anders stretched the sheets rustled and caressed his legs as they slipped lower. The room felt warm but not uncomfortably so. He felt a curvy female form pressed against his left side. His lashes fluttered open. He didn’t sense the throb of a hangover and his mouth didn’t feel cottony but his thoughts were muddled. He glanced down along his body at the woman, Dawn, the woman sleeping pressed against him was Dawn and it all came flooding back.

“Easy now, everything is fine. No one’s hurt,” a velvety male voice said to his right and Anders couldn’t believe he’d missed the man lying to his right.

Anders looked at him; his first impression was young, not much older than Axl. Dark eyes, lush full lips, long dark lashes, broad well-muscled shoulders visible from a white sleeveless tank top. “I’m Dom. Domingo, Sonia’s brother.” He volunteered.

Sonia, Anders remembered was the mother of Dawn’s little sister. And rather unforgettable due to her pretty face and lush figure. She’d stopped by the office a couple times to drop little Ella off to be babysat. It had been amusing when as a toddler she had needed to be patted down for snakes and scorpions before being dropped off.

“Is Dawn alright?” Anders asked looking down at the messy long blonde hair splayed across his chest.

“Madder than a wet cat,” Dom said with a smile. “You know her family’s motto: Don’t get mad just don’t get caught.”

“I hurt her-” Anders started.

“You did not hurt anyone, Dawn was used to hurt you,” Dom said. “Knowing her as you do, you can imagine how she reacted to that.”

“Did she kill her? The goddess that did this?” Anders murmured and wondered why given that he was naked he was so relaxed lying next to another man.

“I can guarantee you that that woman will wish she had,” Dom said, “But you know in this family, death is an escape route and we tend to block that until our temper is sated. Speaking of sated, you’re not. We had Gary induce sleep on you to get you some rest and to rehydrate you. I’m here to keep you calm. You need the rest. Best estimate we should have you back to yourself in another ten to twelve hours. If you get hard again, let me know – I’m great with my hands.”

“Never fancied men,” Andres said.

“I’m Eros, everyone fancies me,” Dom said with a grin that reminded Anders a bit of his own.

Anders chuffed a bit of a laugh and said, “Maybe I should try to sleep.”

“You’re youngest brother stopped by, we’ve tried to get him to leave but he’s worried about you,” Dom said. “He’s out in the living room – do you want me to get him so you can tell him yourself that he should head home?”

Anders glanced down at Dawn’s sleeping naked body and his own, the scent of sex wasn’t new in his bedroom but Axl did not need to come into this or see her like that. He asked Dom, “Think I can make it out there to talk to him without it all starting up again?”

“Make is short; I’ll stay with you – let me know if you need brought back here,” Dom said. He took Anders hand and helped him out from under the leg Dawn had thrown over him; and had him wrapped in his long thick robe almost before he’d fully stood.

They made their way down the short hallway toward the entrance and Anders was already regretting getting out of bed. Dawn’s Dad stepped into the hall from nowhere and Anders stopped to avoid colliding with him. Paul, the elder, grasped his shoulder and said, “How you doing, son?”

“Dom thinks another twelve hours,” Anders murmured, surprised at how uncomfortable he was with knowing that Dawn’s parents knew what had happened. “She’s sleeping if you want to check on her,” and stopped as Paul gave him one of his brilliant smiles and headed toward the bedroom.

Axl was seated with his back to him but turned at the sound of his voice and stood. Sonia had been sitting next him, she said, “Ah, you look much better. I have tea brewing. It is mama’s recipe it will help.” A woman like her was incapable of bustling but she slunk into his kitchen and began to doctor a cup for him.

Jeremy had rose with Axl and looked ready to restrain him if the need arose. Like Axl Jeremy’s physical presence telegraphed a very different message than the truth. Jeremy looked like he was likely break someone’s face but in truth was more likely to steal their girlfriend. Axl, towering above and scowling probably looked to the rest of them like he was going to throttle Axl, whereas Anders still saw the gangly thirteen year old who hadn’t grown into his feet.

“It’s okay,” Anders said leaning back against his fish tank. “I’ll be fine.

Axl heaved a sigh, started to speak and then let out a breath. He gave a nod and asked, “What happened?”

“I miscalculated. I thought Sjofn was still in police custody,” Anders said. He stayed leaning against the fish tank. He took the tea from Sonia and breathed in the pungent vapors before sipping the surprisingly sweet brew. He wondered if once he’d been put to sleep, Dawn had relayed anything to her family or if they were just hearing this for the first time. “She showed up at the office and got the drop on me. Used her power,” Anders said, and looked away, not so much from Axl as from one of Dawn’s fathers.

He was startled to feel an arm around his shoulder on the side Domingo wasn’t. He looked over into Jeremy grim face and remembered Dawn reassuring him that ‘that’s just how Daddy looks he’s not going to kill you’. He hadn’t been reassured then and wasn’t reassured now but the gruff, “Not your fault, son. We’ll adjust the wards on the office so not only Dawn, but you also, will be alerted if a god other than George enters.”

“George is a god?” Axl said.

Anders nodded and said, “Punga,” at his brother’s blank look he said, “the Maori god of all ugly things.”

“I…” Axl started and then literally waved away that tangent of the conversation and said, “Sjofn said ‘loves a bitch – that’s me’ so what power could she have and how could she use it against you?”

“I raped Dawn,” Anders said, somehow saying it drove all the air out of him and he felt light headed like he should start gasping for oxygen. Axl stepped back and nearly fell over the low table in front of the couch. But Sonia was just there to reach out to steady him and Anders felt Domingo do the same on his right side.

Anders didn’t know if Axl’s shock was caused by the information or Jeremy’s glare which was transferred back from Axl to Anders as he said, “You didn’t rape anyone. You were used as a weapon and we all know this. You’re just a kid and you don’t understand casualties in battle. If the Ásynjur are trying to stir something up with the Aesir they made a big mistake bringing the Irish into the mix.”

“I’m Odin,” Axl said. “I should take reasonability for the Norse”

“Axl, you’re twenty one years old-” Anders started

Jeremy laughed outright and said, “I have boots older than you. Listen, kid, we appreciate that you want to do the right thing and be responsible for your people, that’s well, adorable. My sons were trained to fight from the time they could lift a sword and at your age they weren’t ready for this. Your pantheon is feral – that’s not an insult, that’s a fact. All the frustration you’ve been expressing because you have no idea who the players are or what they can and shouldn’t do – that should have been being taught to you all your life.”

“I’m taking Anders back to bed,” Domingo interjected, and then muttered so only Anders heard, “this isn’t helping.”

+

As Anders and Dom slowly made their way back toward Anders’ bedroom, Jeremy gestured for Axl to sit. Jeremy grabbed an ice bucked, loaded some ice from the icemaker in Andres’ fridge and filled it with bottled of the home brew. While he was doing it a blond man nearly as tall as Axl came in and sat in the chair Jeremy had been in and Sonia excused herself and went back to Anders bedroom. Jeremy took Sonia’s place and once the three of them had bottles of beer the new man introduced himself, “I’m Paul, Dawn’s father.”

“I thought you were,” Axl started.

“I am,” Jeremy said.

“How” he tried again.

“It’s a god thing,” they said together.

“The kid’s trying to play Allfather,” Jeremy said.

“Axl, do you even know any of the Ásynjur?” Paul asked.

“Who?” Axl asked.

“The Ásynjur were the unmarried goddesses of your pantheon who still retained Frigg not Odin as their highest authority,” Jermey said. He seemed more patience now like he wasn’t as frustrated by how clueless Axl was in regard to his own people. “Given that Sjofn was the culprit there’re probably other handmaidens.

“We met Ingrid and Stacey at Whangamaungamoa, while we were checking out a sign,” Axl said. “Stacey was kind of aggressively unimpressed but not homicidal, Ingrid rooted Olaf, and didn’t try to kill him while doing it – that he mentioned.”

“Do you know who they are?” Jeremy asked.

At first Axl gave him a blank look and then said, “Oh, oh like god stuff. Stacey’s Fuler? Or something. And Ingrid is Snoter or Snoty – Prudence, Ingrid is the goddess of prudence and Stacey is a handmaiden of Frigg but they’re looking for Frigg too so I don’t know who she’s handmaidening for now. I think they want to recruiter her to the ‘all men are evil’ team, or er gods because gods are men.

“Fulla is abundance, she’s as much a goddess as Sjofn, who’s affection and Snotra, who is courtesy or prudence if you will,” Paul said.

“Their working, like this Sjofn, for a woman named Agnetha Stuart; she owns Fenrir Vodka and has her fingers in a quite a number of business throughout New Zealand and Australia. Ironically she did a complete turnaround about eleven years ago. She has a juvie record for underage drinking, drugs and malicious mischief. As an adult she was involved in a number of domestic disturbances and seems to have been a bit of a biker chick. Ran with a hard crowd, her husband was a repeat offender and had a heavy hand. On paper you would feel sorry for her – a dumb kid, fell in with the wrong crowd, fortunately there’s no record of her having brought any kids into that situation but there is a record of a miscarriage, probably due to the husband smacking her around or the drug use.” Jeremy said.

Paul sat next to Axl and the file he was paging though had pictures from the various arrests, copies of medical files, business filings, legal name changes all stuff that Axl wanted to ask how they got. Jeremy continued with his break down of the woman and said, “Eleven years ago, things change. The husband drops off the map. Agnetha turns her life around. This woman lived hand to mouth, never held down a job besides waitressing, mostly followed one man or another since she was thirteen and suddenly she’s accumulating capital, investing wisely, and taking over businesses. But she was way too old to have suddenly becoming a goddess.”

Paul asked, “You’re thinking, possession? Not to blow the theory, bro, but if I was acquiring some meatbag to host my essence this chick would not make the cut. Old, physically fragile, broke, no education or connections – why not grab someone already at the top of the heap?”

Axl’s head was spinning they were talking so casually about stuff from horror movies. Not for the first time he resented Mike’s tell no one stricture. He would really like to be able to talk this over with Gaia and Zeb.

“Opportunity? Or time or space restrictions? Maybe whatever this is only had a fine window and had to take what was available,” Jeremy mused.

“Could be,” Paul mused, paging through the file, “you know, it would be damn useful if we knew what she was claiming to be; a goddess, a demon, somehow she got these three to trust her and it can’t just be the money.”

“You said one of theirs was banging one of yours, right?” Jeremy said. “Think you could talk to her? Find out if this Agnetha is a goddess and is so which goddess?”

Axl nodded, and watched wide eyed and scared because these guys were serious, this wasn’t a movie or the unreal adventure his life had been since he’d followed his brothers into the forest, they were planning retaliation but against gods or demons, as if they were ordering dinner.

“Can you call her? Set up a meeting – private, on neutral ground?” Paul asked.

“I can try.” Axl said and as both men continued to look at him he added, “Now?”

Jeremy face palmed and Paul said, “If it’s not too much trouble. Anders office should be deserted this time of night if she doesn’t have a better suggestion.”

So he called Olaf, who surprisingly answered the phone. And after much shuffling, muffled conversation and giggling Axl was able to determine that he was with Ingrid. When he asked them if just the two of them could meet him at Anders’ office he was pretty sure that the fullness of the office wet bar impacted their willingness to head over.

When he got off the phone he said, “Okay their on their way, I hope you have a car because I took a taxi in.”

Jeremy and Paul exchanged a look and Paul stood and said, “Give me your hand, kid.”

Axl did as he said, “You know I’m getting really tired of this kid-” and was jerked into free fall off a pitch black cliff, only to tumble out into the dim reception area of Anders office. Paul released his hand and started to turn on lights.

“What the fuck?” Axl said looking around Anders’ darkened office.

Paul said, “I didn’t bring a car. But I really should keep one down here if this is going to be a regular thing.”

Paul spend the next few minutes briefing Axl on what information to get and what questions to ask and even wrote some of it down after giving Axl a stern searching look. He then unlocked the glass doors of the reception area and sent Axl down to wait for Ingrid and Olaf.

When Axl brought them into the office Paul wasn’t there, and Axl knew to expect it but it still rattled him all this coming and going. Axl gestured for them to take seats in the lounge and retrieved the writing pad with notes from Anders desk. Paul’s writing was large, blocky and deeply pressed into the page. He glanced over it and brought it with him to sit on the arm chair next to the couch Ingrid and Olaf had chosen to sit on.

Before Olaf could suggest looting the bar, Axl prefaced his intentions by saying, “This isn’t about Frigg; I need to speak with you as oracles. Not just oracles but oracles for the Norse pantheon.”

Olaf, who had had his arm around Ingrid, removed it, and sat forward on the edge of his seat and nodded while suddenly looking serious. Ingrid looked concerned and said, “Oh, but. Oh do you mean there are other – I hadn’t really thought of that but there could be couldn’t there?”

She and Olaf shared one of those looks of understanding Axl had first seen in Whangamaungamoa. Perhaps for the first time it occurred to Axl that as frustrating as he and his brothers found their grandfather’s disjointed reasoning that Olaf probably found their impatience and inability to follow the way that his thoughts flowed equally frustrating. Ingrid seemed not only to get him but to put information together in the same balmy seeming stream of consciousness.

“If a Norse god or goddess attacked a member of a different pantheon; that would be bad right?” Axl said.

“What’s happened, Axl?” Olaf said, looking cold sober and deadly serious.

Instead of answering, Axl glanced at the page and eliminated some of the questions, there was only one truly important one – Paul had said most of the other were to throw Ingrid off-guard and to lull her into releasing information on Agnetha.

“Ingrid, I know Agnetha Stuart is your patron, she is paying you and Stacey and Michele to help with disrupting Odin and Frigg being reunited. This isn’t about that agenda. Sjofn made some bad calls, I think you’re aware of some of them,” Axl said.

Ingrid nodded and made an agreeing sound and then said, “I told Agnetha that this felt like interfering with fate that – it’s dangerous; bad things happen when you push fate – fate tends to push back.”

“Sjofn, has attacked and injured a member of another pantheon. As her patron – Agnetha is accountable for Sjofn’s actions,” Axl said. “Is Agnetha a goddess?”

“Of course,” Ingrid said, looking back and forth between Olaf and Axl. “What else would she be?”

“How do you know she’s a goddess?” Axl asked. “I mean you know I am because my family is but if you had met me in the shops, I’d just be that tall bloke standing in the queue, right?”

“I think you’re underestimating yourself,” Ingrid said. “But you’re right. Stacey doesn’t stand out, you’d hardly know and I barely register. But Agnetha, she’s powerful.”

“Who is she?” Axl asked.

Ingrid looked fretful and said, “Oh! I don’t know if I should say.”

“Ingrid, Sjofn attacked one of my brothers. She wouldn’t have been able to do it if Agnetha had left her in jail. I will hold this woman responsible.” Axl said, sure that he didn’t look nearly fierce enough to pull this off, “I am Odin, and I am all that is standing between her and everyone that looks to her for being held responsible by the Irish pantheon.”

“Oh dear,” Ingrid said. “I, don’t,” She turned worried eyes to Olaf and Axl felt guilty because she was physically trembling and she had tears in her eyes before she whispered, “Freyja – Agnetha is Freyja.”

Axl looked at Olaf and said, “I thought Mum was Freyja – before she buggered off to become a tree? Wasn’t that what Mike told me?”

Olaf who still had a stunned seriously look covered his mouth with his hand before bringing it up and running it over his scalp. He said, “Oh, buggery bollicks. I need a drink.”


	18. hold me so close that my knees grew weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 1 Episode 7 & 8

Agnetha looked at Stacey and asked, “Where is Ingrid?”

“I’d’know; I’ve been working, ask Michele,” Stacey said, she had removed her helmet and was running the fingers though her sweaty hair. She’d obviously pushed herself hard to arrive as quickly as she did.

“There’s a problem with Michele,” Agnetha said. Stacey was good for running errands but no better than a mortal, really. Ingrid at least was useful for research. Michele was more trouble than she was worth. “She’s vanished. I received a rather hysterical call from her saying she was in Wellington – which would violate the terms of her bail. But when I arranged a car and clothes to go to her location, she wasn’t there.”

“Shitballs.” Stacey said. “Michele doesn’t panic. Well, I’ve never seen her panic. I’ve been following Ingrid’s leads – not that fool, Odin – do we think one of the gods got her?”

+

“So you’re not just here to eat all my food and drink my liquor?” Anders said. He was happy to see Axl look suddenly sheepish. Axl and Olaf had shown up with Olaf’s possessions and the story of Robb moving in with Mike and Val, well they’d called first which is why he came home from the office – to lock the liquor cabinet.

He’d thrown water on to boil and since it was Olaf and Axl poured the whole box of pasta into the water. They were getting jarred sauce, no need to encourage them to expect him to feed them. He’d defrosted half dozen veal cutlets when he’d got home after they called to let him know Olaf needed a place to crash. Anders already had the vegetables steamed and popped the breaded cutlets under the broiler. Axl was nearly dancing in place and Anders wondered how long it had been since Val had cooked for the kid. With bagged salad and a couple loafs of bread he’d picked up on his way back to his flat from the office, it made a much larger lunch than he usually ate but it was lively and he got hear about them meeting Thor and his daughter. Eventually the three of them went over details regarding the Folkmoot Axl was calling for that evening. And although no mention of Paul and Jeremy’s coaching was offered Anders could tell by Olaf’s attentive look that he knew this was not something that they looked up on the net.

They had finished eating but were sitting around the table when there was a knock on the door. Which was odd because either people got buzzed in from the security panel or they walked out of the lea lines; his neighbors just didn’t stop by. At the door Anders was greeted by three vaguely familiar women. Both Axl and Olaf seemed interested when they wanted to party despite it being barely afternoon. Anders was regretting evenings spent with Paul and Ty and their ‘Queer as Folk’ DVDs because he nearly referred to them as ‘tricks’ out loud and certainly didn’t know their names to introduce them. “Some other time girls,” Anders said as they made themselves at home and Axl offered them a drink.

Giving up, Anders excused himself and instead of heading back to the office called Val to suggest Robb’s story might make a good human interest piece. How his observations in the changes in the world and his emotional experiences with literally stepping into the future could get him a book deal which might help him launch a career as a motivational speaker. He didn’t even have to use Bragi on her to suggest he stop by and have a chat with Robb.

Mike, of course, was cranky and suspicious. But Andres felt he could get Dawn to brainstorm and perhaps give Robb the opportunity to support himself instead of relying on others, like Mike. Dawn was another issue. It seemed to Anders that she was taking what had happen much better than he was. Reality was a far cry from him explaining to Ty that sex was sex and what he had with Dawn was different. It was different and up until now the eerie closeness they’d always had, whether they be arguing with each other or tackling a challenge together had been more like what he had with Ty than any of the plethora of women he’d been physical with. Now, it was like a switch had been thrown or one of those ‘magic eye’ photos that you couldn’t see the picture until you shifted focus but once you saw, you couldn’t unsee. Dawn was a woman. A rather beautiful woman, which to be fair he knew and he’d even known she was a sexual being as he’d often poked fun of her and her various boyfriends. Now however it wasn’t a matter of thinking these things it was as if his body was telling him loud and clear every time he saw her.

+

After Stacey reported back to Agnetha regarding the latest lead Ingrid had provided Agnetha decided they should all go to Eva’s gig that night to confirm Stacey’s belief she was Frigg. While they were meeting, Agnetha’s assistant came in and said there was a delivery that Agnetha had to sign for.

“That’s what I have you for Madeline,” Agnetha said.

The assistant cringed and said, “It’s not a bike courier,” and she shot Stacey a dismissive look, “I think it’s something legal. I didn’t want then to serve you a summons in public.”

The young man making delivery was a handsome young Maori who carried a long box under one arm and held a stainless steel clipboard in another. Stacey had stood as soon as he entered and took up a stance between him and Agnetha. Agnetha found it amusing that the girl thought she needed protection. It was obvious to both of them that this was a god, and not one to be dismissed.

Once her assistant left and the door closed he spoke, “She who calls herself, Freyja of the Norse, I Maui of the Maori, represent the rightful pantheon of this land, I speak on behalf of my people. Your imprudence in your games of power has brought war to the threshold of our home. It is the will of Odin that peace be brokered between the Norse and the Irish, you and the handmaidens of Frigg will be present at a ‘Folkmoot’ to answer for acts committed by Sjofn that have brought two pantheons to the brink of war.”

He handed the box to her and held out the clipboard with a single sheet for her to sign for the deliverer. “What do you mean handmaidens? I’m the only handmaiden,” Stacey started. Once Agnetha had signed for the delivery Maui turned, not even acknowledging Stacey, and left.

“What was that about?” Stacey said.

Agnetha ignored her. Olaf may have been able to talk Axl though calling a thing. But, first enlisting gods from another pantheon to deliver the message and the box, which was obviously hand crafted and once she lifted the lid contained a polished piece of obsidian engraved with ruins. She hadn’t even known there were other pantheons. And now to find out Michele had somehow made her a target.

Underneath the stone was a scrap of parchment with a time, date and GPS coordinates of the Folkmoot.

+

“Good Lord, Anders, just be thankful it’s Hector and not me going with them,” Dawn hissed quietly to Anders as Robb and Val were driving off. “Hours in a car with that woman and I’d go spare.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” Anders murmured in her ear. “Did you get a chance?”

“It’s not that complicated, you didn’t need to manufacture prolonged contact doing that… make over,” Dawn said. “I could have just shaken her hand. Twenty minutes of my life I will never get back, all to convince that stupid cow that you really do need some sort of definition to your eyes to appear on camera – you didn’t mention she was a fucking hippy.”

“I appreciate this,” Anders said. “Nothing special she has to do?”

“She will conceive the next time she has sex – well provided it’s with a man,” Dawn said, “Pretty sure that there’s no way for me to make a baby without all the required ingredients.

Anders felt Mike’s curious glare but wasn’t sure if it was because he blamed him for shipping Val off or because Dawn and he were standing so close while talking.

They had dealt or at least were dealing with Sjofn’s attack well. They had a solid partnership and while it didn’t seem as if this would damage how well they worked together, their bodies remembered the physical aspect of Sjofn’s meddling and reacted accordingly. It helped that neither of them was revolted by the thought of having sex with the other, but the aspect of having their choice taken away lingered. Sonia had said that their body language and even their auras reflected the fact they had been lovers – at least for the thirty six hours following the attack.

“Can I have a word with you?” Mike cut in.

Dawn shot a hard eyed glare right back at him and said pleasantly, “Wait in the car, shall I?”

Andres opened the door for her and handed her the keys before following Mike over to where he waited. It wasn’t like Mike knew the details of the attack; even Olaf couldn’t have spilled the beans since they’d kept him largely in the dark. Axl had spent much of their lunch telling him exactly what Ingrid had revealed. Having reviewed all the documents that Dawn’s family had supplied it was obvious that Agnetha was not their mother.

“We need to call a thing,” Mike said.

Anders covered his surprise with bland disinterest and asked, “In addition to the Folkmoot that’s already schedule for tonight? Why?”

“You’re not the least bit concerned that this woman, who may be our mother, tried to kill Axl,” Mike said.

“This woman, may be Freyja, or she may be another goddess posing as Freyja, but what she is not, nor has ever been is our mother,” Andres said; and then added in a mutter, “Elizabet barely qualified as that and she squeezed each of us out of her vagina.”

Mike was building to the special frustrated place where he threw a punch. With Dawn watching in the rear view and given his vague memories of anything other than rooting that had happened that day with Sjofn, Andres figured that the better part of valor was to get Dawn as far away from Mike as possible – or at least get Mike out of her sight.

“I’ve got to go,” Anders said, “text me where and when if the others agree – I’ll see you there.”

“You’re leaving?” Mike said.

Anders sighed in frustration, gestured toward his car and the fuming blonde in it and said, “I have a job, don’t you?”

+

Once back at their office, Anders thanked George for having Jerome do the ceremonial delivery and Dawn left to check on her family’s preparations. George was just leaving when Axl came storming in and nearly unsexed Anders with a kitchen knife as he relaxed on the sofa.

“What the fuck, Axl” Anders said.

“That’s it Anders, no more sex,” Axl growled.

Anders looked down at how close the knife had come and said, “What kind of drugs are you on? You could have killed me. And fuck you, you have nothing to do with my sex life, you useless wanker – virgin until twenty one? The last man I take advice on sex from.”

“I’m Odin-” Axl started.

Anders interrupted and said, “Unless Odin is planning to suck my cock, he has no say in where it goes.” That was it he was never watching ‘Queer as Folk’ again, Brian Kinney was a bad influence. “Back off Axl, I’m an adult and I will root who I want to – where the hell is this coming from?”

“Those women back at your flat – your friends-,” Axl started.

Anders stood and pushed back on Axl’s chest so he wasn’t in his face, “Not my friends, three girlies who at one time or another wanted to climb aboard. They don’t owe me anything and I don’t owe them anything. I didn’t want them in my flat to begin with but you and Olaf thought you might get your ends away and what – they spent all afternoon telling sad tales of how I never called them? You know if you had a job maybe you wouldn’t feel the need to get pissed on my shout with a bunch of needy overemotional castoffs who were surprised I didn’t fall for whatever manipulative techniques they tried to use to turn a good fuck into a bad relationship.”

“One of them said you Bragied her away from her wedding day,” Axl said.

“The vet’s girlie? Yeah, that was her choice and I didn’t need to Bragi her Axl. She’d run my card and knew the change I keep in my rec account. All in all she tried to trade up – she jumped me and then ditched her own wedding because she thought I’d make a better meal ticket. The vet should have sent me a fucking fruit basket for saving him from her grasping hands.” Anders said.

“I am Odin and I order you, no more fucking until we find Frigg,” Axl said.

+

Sunset was about an hour off as Ingrid arrived with Olaf and Axl arrived with Mike, the four of them started down the path into the woods, only to turn and see Stacey and Agnetha arrive together. Despite there being no other cars, Ty and Anders were waiting in the clearing already standing in a circle made of ruin laid stones similar to the ones used at their godding ceremony but made of a strange white soapy stones. Off to the side were an open leather-bound chest the stones had come from and a large long arced tent with tall flap as a door also lashed open.

The six coming into the clearing milled cautiously toward the circle and after Axl stepped up next to Anders and Olaf slotted in next to him Anders stepped into the circle. As soon as he spoke the force of power moved outward, not nearly as powerful as the blast that had knocked Olaf unconscious at Axl’s godding, but enough to have the assembled turn startled looks at each other. Axl had never been more aware that his brother was a god. This beat Mike’s paper, rock, scissors trick and if Anders had done this the night they were telling him about all this god stuff he would have believed them right away.

“Aesir, Vanir, we assemble as Norse. Here in this clearing we are not the mortal vessels but the godly essence – here we remember the law and the consequence of actions. I, Bragi, open the door for he who speaks for the wronged,” Anders paused as a tall blond man strode out of thin air and slotted into the circle directly across from Axl. Mike and Agnetha had similar looks on their faces as if both thought this might have been a ploy to assemble them all.

Anders continued. “This is not a call to judgement but a call for truce. Action will be rendered upon reaching an accord. No further blood will be spilled between our pantheons as we deliberate. I, Bragi, open the door for the accused.” The air shimmered and Michele was dragged in between two gods, equally as tall and bearing a strong family resemblance to the first.

“She who calls herself Freyja, since you have purloined Friggs handmaidens and sought to replace Frigg as ruler of the Ásynjur you and yours have repeatedly attempted to kill or imprison Odin. Unsuited to such machinations you’ve made such useless mayhem that you’ve offended multiple pantheons and place the Norse in blood debt to the Irish.” Anders smirked as Agnetha as she took offence and started to say something he added, “Shut up. I’ll tell you when you may speak.”

“I yield to he who represents the Irish in this matter, hail Goibniu the tireless and clever, the great smith, patron of brewing and god of hospitality and fire.” Anders tipped his head forward to Paul and backed into his space between Axl and Ty.


	19. I just couldn't seem to make any sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season One Episode 9

Mike didn’t know what he expected but this certainly wasn’t it. Of the two goddesses who pulled up shortly after they arrived, it was easy to see which one was Freyja, but she was obviously not their mother. It was also obvious to see she was quite angry that one of hers was here with Olaf. They’d proceeded in silence after exchanging suspicious glares, Axl leading the way and the unnamed other goddess bringing up the rear.

Cresting the rise above the clearing, he was surprised again to see Anders and Ty already waiting. Ty wearing jeans and a black thermal shirt and Anders in the suit he’d been wearing earlier looking very out of place surrounded by trees. Olaf had offered a beach tent but Anders had said he’d take care of it. The traditional long house seemed to be made of hides and the unusual stones certainly weren’t something Anders, despite his overt displays of financial success, would have had laying around.

If Anders hadn’t stepped into the circle as soon as each of them had taken a place between the white stones defining the circle, Mike would have questioned if this was one of his gambles to outwit the goddesses. However, as soon as Anders opened his mouth, Mike was blown away. This wasn’t Anders being city slick and trying to close a deal or seduce a woman; this was Bragi, who could bar Loki from Odin’s hall with words alone.

It wasn’t just Mike, but Ullr, who was instantly on guard as the hair on the back of his neck rose and a tall blond stepped into the open space between him and Freyja. The blond, named by Bragi as Goibniu was Axl’s size, handsome but unsmiling and the accused was dragged into view from thin air but nearly identical younger replicas of him.

The accused was a tall brunette, naked with an angry red scar over her right breast and a blacked and swollen left knee. Anders and Ty stepped back and let the two gods pull her into the center of their circle. After dropping her in the center of the circle the two gods took a step back and assumed a parade rest stance. One wore a black thermal similar to Ty’s the other a crisp white dress shirt unbuttoned at the throat with the sleeves rolled up.

“My sons, Lugh and Donn,” Goibniu said. “An unprovoked attack on their sister Boann by this Sjofn, under orders of your Freyja has brought us here, to the brink of war.”

“I didn’t know-” Michelle started to wail.

“Silence,” Anders said and though her mouth kept moving now sound emerged. He then turned to Axl and tipped his head in a bow.

+

Axl was glad he’d been coached. People could die today and he certainly did not want to be winging it. Jeremy and Paul had sat with him through most of the night after he’d met with Olaf and Ingrid and they had gone over options. They had also explained the give and take of brokering peace. So Axl was probably the only one beside Anders who didn’t nearly wet himself when after he had stepped forward and in formal language basically asked what do we need to do to pay for our crimes the reply from Goibniu was, “We demand the lives of Freyja and all the Ásynjur.”

Ingrid actually started weeping and sank to the ground and Stacey was the first to realize there was no running away from the circle when her feet could not move from her slot. Agnetha tried to speak but apparently Anders earlier admonishment to ‘shut up’ had rendered her as unable to speak as Michele. Axl almost regretted not being able to tell them that they were not going to die. He’d been assured of that before they called the Folkmoot. But a darker part of him thought if he let them squirm now maybe they would think twice before trying to kill him again.

The back and forth lasted until full dark and the clearing was illuminated only by the unearthly light rising from the strange stones defining the circle. Axl had gone twice into the strange long house set up to consult with Olaf. First when the Irish requested ‘life to ransom death’ and then when he’d suggested that the Norse had much to learn from the Irish and that death was the end of knowledge.

Finally when the proposal was that the Norse would mingle blood three times with the Irish, Sjofn would be turned over for reeducation, and that Freyja and the rest of the Ásynjur would meet weekly with an emissary from the Irish pantheon for their own reeducation, Axl’s stomach decided the matter and he accepted the offers.

Freyja began waving her hands wildly and Axl said, “What?” She tried to speak and nothing came out he said, “Speak.” Nothing happened again and he looked at Anders.

Anders sighed and said, “Speak, truth.”

“Michele can’t leave,” Agnetha said, “she’s been arrested for a major crime.”

“We got that covered,” one of Michele’s guards said. They lifted her by her arms and vanished.

+

There was a bit more formal language exchanged between Goibniu and Axl before the tall god vanished the way he came. Anders stepped into the circle as he had in the beginning and took down whatever he had cast to seal the circle and Mike as well as the other noticed they could now move from their designated places. Mike watched Freyja realize she could talk and gesture for Ingrid to join her and the other goddess. Ingrid apparently was prepared with a flash light and they head off toward the cars.

Mike wanted to follow them to see what they were up to but he also wanted to talk with Axl. It was obvious someone had coached him and he did think all this had come from Olaf. He wandered over while watching the goddesses make their way from the clearing. Ty and Anders were packing up the stones into the crate.

“What are those made of?” Mike asked.

Ty shrugged but Anders said, “White turquoise – the real kind not the man-made stuff so treat them with care.”

“Are they?” And Mike stopped because he didn’t want to ask if they were magic, but they were glowing and the things Anders had done. Well he wasn’t sure if that was Bragi’s power or something else.

“They were a gift, from the Aztecs – they have access to a lot of rare gems.” Anders said.

“We know the Aztecs?” Axl asked.

“The Greeks, the Hawaiians, the Inuits, everyone is pissed at us, well I think the Maori are just laughing at us,” Anders said. “The Norse have lost a lot of face with this cock up.” After packing the last stone and sealing the box he and Ty moved it into the long house. “You going to take care of this?” He asked Ty.

“Yeah, I got it,” Ty said.

Anders turned to them and asked, “Are we having Mike’s thing? Can we skip the mini golf, I’m wiped? That may have looked like just standing around but that was me holding that barrier up.”

Mike found all their attention suddenly on him. Anders looked pale and like he should be sitting down. Mike wasn’t happy with this casual mention of other gods and that fact it seemed everyone but him was aware of them and comfortable with the fact they existed.

“I’d like to know more about all these other gods,” Mike said and watched them all look to Anders.

“There are other gods. It really shouldn’t be a surprise. Most have been around at least as long as we have. Each pantheon has its own traditions and rules. For a most part they each deal with their own stuff, there are overlaps in responsibilities and families intermingle. Like us they are born human and host godly essence.” Anders said.

“You knew about this,” Mike said. He knew he wasn’t asking. He was frustrated. How could Anders not let them know about this. It was so like him; that he kept something like this a secret something so dangerous to them all. “I can’t believe you would leave us in the dark.”

“How was I to know you didn’t know about them?” Anders asked. “Mike I got told I was a god, told not to tell anyone and then left to figure it out on my own. For all I knew, you knew.”

“I’ve known there were other gods since I became one,” Ty said. “Olaf mentioned meeting sea gods from other pantheons while surfing.”

“I never told you about that?” Olaf asked Mike.

Even Axl chimed in, “I hang out with a couple of Maori gods, I mean I didn’t know they were gods until after I became one but yeah, their cool – we’re thinking of developing a computer game based on the various pantheons.”

“So all of you have known about these other gods?” Mike said as the others nodded or shrugged.

“Mike, you don’t like being a god. Which is a valid choice,” Anders said. “Face it until Axl got saddled with the mantle of Odin all this god shit was just something we knew but never talked about – it was treated as a burden to be shouldered and ignored.”

“Just because you use Bragi’s powers to get laid,” Mike started.

“My power,” Anders voice cracked out and there was electricity in the air, whether it was all him or the nearness of the glowing rocks in the trunk Mike didn’t know as Anders continued. “I am Bragi, he exist in me at all times, waking, sleeping, day and night. And I don’t need to coerce  anyone into fucking me. Most of them are eyeing the size of my bank account and not my cock but I’m young, I’m rich and I’m single and I am sick of you and Axl treating me like I’m some sort of date rapist. I know enough gods and goddesses from other pantheons with powers similar to mine to know I’m not.”

“No one thinks that,” Ty said. And then looked to the others, “Come on, he’s a prick, but he’s an honorable prick.”

Anders slapped Ty on the back and left his hand there and said, “Thanks, I think. So, Mike has vented his spleen at not being advised by each of us regarding other gods. Ty is going to clean up and we have obligations to fulfill to the Irish, which we will not be able to do tonight. I think Odin and Ullr should follow those goddesses and make sure they are not up to something. And we can meet later this week – somewhere without ticks and mosquitos – and compare notes.”

Olaf, Axl and Mike headed off to the car leaving Ty and Anders to break down and cart out the long house however they had gotten it in. Mike couldn’t imagine Anders would be much help with any manual labor but Ty had said they’d be fine. Olaf followed them and once they were out of the woods heading back to Auckland, Mike accessed Ullr and focused on Freyja.

+

Ty watched the light Olaf had had, probably given to him by Ingrid who seemed to like being prepared, bob up and over the ridge. Anders stood, hands in his pocket watching them leave. Anders seemed exhausted and based upon what Paul had shared Ty was surprised he was even still standing. They were too far away to hear if engines started or if they had really left or if they, rather Mike, were doubling back to check on them. Paul stepped out of the long house and pulled a flatbed aluminum cart out and started unhooking cords. Paul, he knew would have been watching to make sure they drove off before coming to help break down the ‘godly hall’ required for the Folkmoot. They made short work of putting the chest on the cart and pulling down the tent structure.

Ty stopped when he heard a soft murmur and looked over toward where the circle had been. Anders and Dawn were standing close heads tilted as they quietly talked over each other. He really didn’t understand their relationship. He hadn’t understood it before and now given what Paul had told him about the attack he was stunned that they weren’t at the very least uncomfortable in each other’s company.

“Have you got this?” Anders said when he saw Ty looking.

Ty said, “Yeah, sure.”

Dawn nodded goodbye and took Anders’ arm and they shimmered off onto the lea lines.

Paul had the long house and down and stacked on the cart. He stepped up to Ty and slipped his arms around him and asked, “You okay?”

Ty sighed and hung on to Paul’s arms. All this, mess; his worlds had come crashing together. Axl seemed to like Paul’s fathers or at least he liked getting straight forward answers to his questions. Mike was furious that he was just finding out about other gods. Ty worried just how badly Mike would take it if he found out Ty’d been living with a god from another pantheon for nearly five years. Olaf, who despite his current involvement with Ingrid, seemed leery of goddesses in general and may warm to the fact Paul was a god. Although the selling point of the lea lines in following the surf and drug trafficking probably would hold more weight.

“What are you worrying about, now?” Paul said. “The hard parts over – not like you have to get knocked up.”

“My family,” Ty said. “half of them know – but I still have to tell Mike and Olaf.”

“And Axl,” Paul said.

“Axl knows,” Ty said. “You were there. That night that Anders was taking care of the coke.”

“I was,” Paul said. “He doesn’t know – shit Anders wouldn’t know if I hadn’t out you – which I wouldn’t have done if I knew it would have stressed you so much. People do not read whatever it is you think they do. You have to say shit to them. Like for instance: this is Paul who I bang on a regular basis otherwise they are not going to pick up on whatever.”

“I’m not ashamed of you,” Ty said.

It was Paul’s turn to sigh, “I know.”

Ty felt Paul tighten his arms around him. The silence stretched. Paul finally said, “You’re ashamed of you. And I’m sorry for my part in that – I never wanted you to feel like this... bad. I just think you think too much about this – it’s not as complicated as you make it.”

“This?” Ty said.

“All this. Life. Yeah, I get it god of death giving advice about life,” Paul shrugged without letting go, digging his chin into Ty’s shoulder. Just before Ty was going to suggest they leave Paul added, “I just want you to be happy.”

Ty didn’t know what to say. Before he met Paul he’d have had a list of what he needed to be happy. Top of it would have been a wife, home, and a good job, maybe a creative outlet. He had spent five years doing exciting work in a part of the world so very few were privileged to set foot on. He had an active, athletic sex life; he could travel the world and still make it to work on time every day. He’d seen the Northern and the Southern Lights, eaten in some of the world’s finest restaurants, seen Shakespeare performed in the Globe Theater in original pronunciation, and witnessed godding ceremonies in three other pantheons. And until Axl became Odin and the two separate worlds of pre and post Paul collided he would have described himself as happy. Now he could not shake that feeling of foreboding that somehow he was going to lose everything.

It didn’t help that his mother or someone claiming to be her goddess was back in his life. Elizabet had left at a bad time. He’d always wondered if she thought he was gay. She had of course always favored him; it wasn’t just his brothers complaining that she liked him best. But her love had always come with costs; she demanded his loyalty and could be cutting at the best of times. He had thought when he first heard that if it was Elizabet who walked in that he might just turn on her, publically – not just for her attempts to kill Axl but for what she left Mike and Anders to shoulder with her leaving. Anders, up until Mike installed Val in their household had been a better mother than her. But it had been a stranger, who Anders had silenced and dismissed.

+

Mike was surprised when he reached the city limits that when he tapped into Ullr that he was directed toward a dive bar near the university. He parked and he and Axl go out of the car, and Olaf pulled up behind them. This seemed like the least likely place for that the goddesses would meet.

Once they entered they heard a live singer up onstage playing a keyboard. The goddesses minus Sjofn were all at one table, watching the performance. The Johnsons stood in the back and Axl said, “There’s something about that girl.”

“What girl?” Mike said.

“On stage,” Axl said. “She feels-”

The lights above exploded, there was feedback squealing out of the sound system and the girl on stage fainted. Axl rushed the stage and said, “Give her some air. Can I get some water?”

Mike got a bottle of water from the bar and Olaf went over to talk to Ingrid. Axl helped the girl up and took the bottle from Mike and gave it to her.

“That was really freaky,” she said.

Axl nodded and said, “Sure was. Are you hurt? Did you get shocked?”

“No, I don’t think so,” she said. Since the bulk of the audience was the gods and goddesses, they were all encouraging her to rest from her shock. She looked confused and said “Didn’t you come here for the show?” Her most disbelieving look was reserved for Agnetha who couldn’t even say she just came to the club to drink like Mike and Olaf could.

“I’m Axl,” Axl said, and added, “You were amazing, right up until you exploded that is.”

“Thanks, I’m Eva, but I guess you know that already,” She said.

Axl just grinned and nodded as if he had come specifically to see her play. After about fifteen minutes she got back on stage and completed her set. Once she started to play, Mike said, “we need to call a thing.”

“Another one?” Axl said.

“We don’t know that she Frigg,” Olaf pointed out while watching Ingrid, Stacey and Agnetha whisper over at their table.

“About that,” Axl said, “I always wondered, if I can’t let her know I’m a god, until I know she’s a goddess and she’s in the same boat – How does that work?”

 

 


	20. Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 1 Episode 10

“How the fuck did this happen?” Anders said. His family was scattered around his office, the doors were locked and he’d sent George out for a long lunch.

Mike scowled, “You were out of touch-”

“For like a day, day and a half,” Anders said, “one of us needed to follow up on the commitments we made at the Folkmoot – remember that? It happened just two nights ago? Ring any bells?”

“And you were not answering your phone,” Mike said.

“Ty – what the fuck – Mike’s an idiot with his fucking head in the sand but where the fuck were you when this shit was being signed. in. blood.”

“Due south - five thousand kilometers, ring any bells,” Ty growled.

“You signed something in blood – something you can’t read. Are you morons?” Dawn said. 

Mike whirled, looking horrified. And started to stammer an excuse to cover the god talk, Dawn dismissed him with a wave and walked over to Anders and said, “You’re family is too inbred to be left alone. They don’t need to be euthanized their going to get themselves killed. In fact it escapes me how they’ve lived this long.”

Anders leaned in and whispered, “This is not new. You’ve seen them at their worst; although this is a new low.”

“Give me,” Dawn said, holding out her hand.

Anders nodded and addressed the room, “Cough it up, now. I want to see this contract.”

“You read ruins?” Axl said. 

Dawn glared at him and Anders was worried. Axl was not thirteen anymore and that look said she wanted to hit him repeatedly with something that hurt worse than a magazine. She said, “Should you have *not* asked that question before you signed a contract, you could not read - in blood?”

Mike produced the parchment and Dawn pulled her phone and hit one of her speed dial numbers. She waited and then said, “Can you read Norse ruins? No, now, can you read Norse ruins for me now?”

Dawn hung up her phone and unrolled the sheets and pin them on the board they used to view ad copy. Like at the Folkmoot a god stepped out of thin air and walked up to Dawn and the contract. It was RJ and Anders felt himself relax. If he or Ty had been here when this went down that was who they would have called. She greeted her brother with, “They’re competing for a Darwin award, how badly have they screwed up this time?”

Taking a moment look over the contract RJ said, “Nothing in this contract mentions names. It unites two houses, but it does not specify who is betrothed. Any female, regardless of her name or goddess, from Loki’s house can marry any god, regardless of his name or god, from Ullr’s house. If for any reason the god or goddess in question does not go through with the wedding, the guarantee of the contract forfeits their life.”

“What?” Axl said. 

Dawn shushed him, and asked RJ, “How would you get out of it?” 

RJ rubbed his beard and said, “a couple ways. Either you force her to call it off so Loki dies. Have her marry some other member of the Johnson family – I vote for whatever idiot either didn’t ask for the agreement in a language he spoke or get someone competent to translate it for him. Or, well Loki, he’s a shape shifter – at least he has a rep for changing teams. Have him shift and then marry him off that way the girl goes free.”

Anders spoke up, “you said this girly hates her daddy right? You tell her she has the power to make him beg I bet she’d break it off.”

“This shindig is scheduled soon?” RJ asked. 

Mike said, “Tonight.”

Dawn leaned back, almost against Anders and asked, “Do you need weapons?”

“I’m a lover, not a fighter,” he murmured. 

She said, “You can be both, I have the sweetest little dagger and a garrote-”

“No, Dawn,” he said with a smile and added, “If I want someone dead you’re number one on my speed dial.”

“You know that Freyja was behind this,” Dawn murmured. “We should dump her account. I’m charging her for all the time and expensed incurred by her stupid tricks. Let her try and dispute the bill, I’ll go over personally to explain each and every line item – with a sword.”

“I love it when you wreak vengeance in the board room, it’s sexy,” Anders said.

Mike cleared his throat and Anders looked over and said, “Not my fault you’re an idiot. It’s signed and done. Figure out how to live with this. How all of us get to live. I’ve used my life line.”

“And Anders won’t be marrying either Loki or Loki’s daughter, because if you had waited for him you would not be in this mess,” Dawn said.

“Have the big guy step in,” RJ said.

Olaf looked around as if another tall man beside him and Axl would appear out of thin air and when he realized no new gods had shown up asked, “Why me?” 

RJ face palmed, before looking up and saying, “Well you’re here, you’re family and you’re not currently married, right?”

“Okay,” Anders said, before that can of worms could be opened. “This is a formal event – can all of you dress yourselves and not embarrass me?”

He let them out and told Olaf he’d meet him at his place. Alone with the Irish gods he asked, “How badly are we screwed.”

“Just do not let them strong arm you into marrying her, bro,” RJ said. “This contract is binding and unless this chick is Idunn and not Frigg it would react badly to what is essentially an already existing marriage.”

“How likely is that?” Anders asked.

Dawn answered, “That she’s Idunn? Well you’ll know the minute you see her but the odds are against it. But there has to be a reason for the wording and the lack of names. They don’t name Axl as Odin, but that is most likely because they don’t want to name this Eva as Frigg, because she’s not.”

“Shit,” Anders said, then he shook RJ’s hand and said, “Thanks for coming on such short notice. I swear I take my eyes off them for a minute and they self-destruct.”

RJ left with a wave saying, “I hear you, family right?”

Anders looked at Dawn and asked, “Any chance your family will adopt me, I don’t want to be left with these crazy people.”

“Come on,” she said. “I’ll walk you home so you can be there before Olaf does something unspeakable to your fish.”

“Come with me to this,” Anders nearly whined as she took his arm and tugged.

“Oh hard up, I can’t,” she said, as they emerged in his flat, “I have a very low tolerance for your pantheon, I’ll have to work up to periods longer than ten minutes. If I rush it I’ll get a rash.”

Dawn left before Olaf arrived. Anders showered and dressed only to be greeted by Olaf impersonating a pimp, from a bad seventies film. 

“Grandpa, Dawn thinks Eva isn’t Frigg,” Anders said

Olaf looked puzzled and asked, “Did Dawn meet Eva?”

“No,” Anders said, “but I agree that its suspect that the contract goes out of its way to not name the names of the principles. And I checked with Axl; Eva never claimed to be Frigg, everyone just told her she was – there has to be a reason Loki never told his daughter that she was a goddess or which goddess she was.”

Olaf gave it a ponder and helped himself to some of Anders vodka and then said, “How much of this is because he’s Loki and you’re Bragi.”

“I’ve never met this guy, but if this was the real deal, if she was Frigg, why negotiate a contract at all? They’re already married, just like Bragi and Idunn; like Hod and Hel; why marry them at all? Frigg and Odin are already married. And the fact that he is Loki means he gets off on duplicitous shit like this.”

“I should talk this over with Ingrid,” Olaf said.

Anders rubbed his face and said, “Ingrid seems very nice, but that manipulative cunt wearing mother’s divinity is a puppet master and forgive me but Ingrid doesn’t seem jaded enough to spot when she’s being used.”

Ty wandered out of Anders bedroom in a surprisingly nice monochromatic suit. Anders said, “What? No plus one?”

“You’re dateless as well,” Ty said.

Anders smirked and said, “Stupidity gives her hives,” and escorted them out the door.

The three of them pulled up to the Gunderson Estate at the same time as Mike and Axl. Mike’s truck bed had a tarp stretched over a pile of packages of some sort and was wearing his exasperated at the world face.

“What’s up?” Ty asked.

Mike growled, “Later.”

Anders wasn’t comfortable swilling booze or eating in obviously hostile territory so he carried a full glass around and pretends to drink the way he did at the marketing mixers and networking events that were so much of his job. Mike had no similar apprehension and seemed to be intent on getting drunk.

After Loki made a pompous ass of himself insulting his daughter and their family the Johnsons adjourned to the drive way to check out the car and smoke some pot. Axl said he needed to chat with Eva, hopefully about her ability to kill her father and not how he preferred his nursey mortal flat mate to her.

“You seem to be celebrating a bit more than Axl’s wedding,” Anders said, still holding a Champaign flute as Mike quaffed the hard stuff.

“Val’s up the duff,” Mike said.

Ty grinned and said, “Congratulations that’s great news.”

“It’s Robb’s; she’s leaving me; their getting married,” Mike added

Anders murmured, “Not great news. Well, maybe there’s a bright side.” He took a long hit off the joint and passed it to Olaf.

“Really Anders, a bright side, tell me the bright side,” Mike whirled on him in frustration.

Anders held the smoke in another moment released it and said, “Now you’re free to marry Eva – so you don’t die.”

“Me, what about you,” Mike said. 

“I didn’t sign a contract I couldn’t read – and who the fuck do you think is honoring the agreement with the Irish for this fucked up pantheon,” Anders asked.

Mike visibly stopped himself from shouting and then looked confused, “What do you mean?”

“The Folkmoot – ring any bells? Who did you think was going to mingle blood with their pantheon three times? Axl? He can’t get a root in without three dates and adopting a kitten together and you think he can impregnate three goddesses?” Anders asked.

Mike probably just to be contrary gestured at Ty and said, “What about Ty?”

Ty looked decidedly uncomfortable and Anders said, “I’m not touching that one.”

Anders took another hit and handed the joint back to Olaf before going inside. He texted Dawn the news about Val being knocked up but not by Mike. He knew Dawn wouldn’t take back her blessing but he wouldn’t put it passed her that she might arrange to bump into Val soon and Val would end up with quadruplets as punishment. Never piss off a fertility goddess. 

Eva tried to break the contract but as Colin pointed out since Axl had approached her about it Mike would be the one to die. And then Ty and Eva were screaming at each other, she pulled a knife on him and slashed his chest while he let her. Eva apparently had some interesting kinks because the sight of the blood had her nearly throwing Ty down on the banquet table now filled with rotting food. The two of them ended up fucking against a wall fucking while covered in Ty’s blood. That emptied the room fast. 

They congregated out by the pool, where everyone looked deeply uncomfortable Anders toked on the joint before slowly releasing the smoke. He held it out to Colin and said, “So. Eva’s Hel; and you didn’t see this coming?”

Agnetha looked surprised when Anders said to her, “Funny we always thought he was the one of us you kind of liked; this is going to end with him dead.

Then he looked at Mike and said, “You’re up next; you’re the only one of us she hasn’t tried to kill, yet.”

“Let me know when the wedding is,” he said to the uncomfortable milling crowd and walked around the side of the house to the driveway and left.

He called Dawn from his car and asked her if she’d meet him at his place. He kind of liked coming home to her; she already had the vodka out and asked, “How bad?”

“Eva is Hel.” He said and tossed back half the measure she’d poured.

Hearing that she got a glass for herself and said, “There are problems with divine marriages – at least when they reunited in their vessels.”

“What kind of problems?” Anders asked. 

Dawn sighed and said, “Things carry over. Old grudges, old hurts, but for the most part you’re you. You were Anders meeting this Colin guy. Under better circumstances you might have even liked him, done business with him – Loki and Bragi would have benefited in learning they could work together without deceit or offense. But when there are bindings and covenants that follow from before, before that essence that we embody had to limit itself to human, mortal, fragility and restrictions. It’s like taking the safety off of a gun, or jumping without a parachute. They try to go at each other, fight, fuck, everything with the intensity of a bodiless divinity. And it usually doesn’t end well for the vessel.”

“She slashed him with a knife, deep. He was bleeding – there was blood everywhere, all over him all over her as their rooted against the wall. That’s not Ty, it was like he was someone else,” Anders said. 

“Hod.” Dawn said.

Anders slumped onto one of the stools and hunched over his glass, he looked up at her and said, “I don’t ever want to be Bragi like that.”

Dawn, proving she was the best friend ever said nothing as she sat next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder while he drank.


	21. Will you take me away; and will you make me your wife

 

Dawn refused to go to Ty’s wedding in the morning, because surprise - Ty hadn’t invited Paul. Given Ty was apparently ditching one death god for another Anders thought that it was an uncharacteristically prudent move on Ty’s part. Until Dawn told him that the reason Ty hadn’t invited Paul was that he neglected to inform him he was getting married; so much for prudence. Not that Anders ever expected to be in the same position but whatever he would have done, hiding his head in the sand would not even be one of his options.

It was after midnight so it was technically Ty’s wedding day. Ty was staying at Eva’s place and if they didn’t kill each other the ceremony would take place at ten o’clock. As far as he knew the only ones coming were those of the pantheon who’d been at the Gudegilde. So Anders had just spent over an hour talking with a man who was tantamount to his brother-in-law about his concerns of Ty surviving what was essentially a divine addiction. As well as, how it seemed either Ty or Mike would die as a result of whatever happened tomorrow. He’d only meant to skype but Paul had walked thought and spent most of the time reassuring Anders that as death, no one was going to die.

And because the Irish rarely showed up empty handed, Paul had plied him with whisky of dubious origin. The one sure thing Anders had learned in dealing with Dawn’s family was that unmarked bottles were terrifying. He did appreciated Paul’s cutthroat ruthlessness in regard to Freyja. As far as Anders was concerned if she could stand before the Folkmoot and see what her machinations had wrought and not twenty four hours later try to either kill Mike or Axl, since if things had gone according to her plan that was the most likely outcome, she need taken down. Anders knew the lying cunt had assumed it would end with Axl miserable but alive and could tell by the momentarily unguarded look in her eye when he’d pointed it out at the Gudegilde that she really hadn’t meant for Ty to get caught in her web.

So Paul and he had devised a strategy, fluid enough to be used to lay ground work for tripping the bitch up once and for all. After the wedding Anders would head over to visit with Freya and see if he could negotiate a truce, or a seeming truce until she showed her hand. She’d come far too close to killing Mike with her little ploy and he was smart enough to know that if she put her mind to it she could pick each of them off separately and leave Axl alone and at her mercy.

Given that this twat was leaning on the mother issue, since she seemed to somehow have access to Elizabet’s memory, Anders would give her exactly what she expected. Apparently Freyja didn’t know Bragi any better than Elizabet had known Anders. Jeremy wasn’t the only badass poet in the pantheons. Anders might not take the bitch out with a high powered rifle or a sword but maybe she would realize that Anders not Bragi was the threat she should have assessed. He’d play the hedonistic narcissist. After all he really was selfish; unashamedly selfish and she was going to find out just how much attacking people he considered his would motivate his hedonistic narcissistic ass.

So he was operating on three hours sleep when he stopped at the office earlier before the ceremony and he would forever blame both his lack of sleep and whatever was in the unmarked bottle for Dawn figuring out something he’d been hiding from her since before the Folkmoot.

“Anders, I can’t believe I’m saying this but you need to go get laid,” Dawn said. “Normally I would stay out of your lifestyle choices but whatever you’re taking-”

“Dawn, I’m not taking anything,” Anders interrupted. “Everything’s fine.”

“No, Anders, eight years we have worked together over eight years and you’re not fine,” Dawn said.

“I might be a little wired,” Anders said, “But it’s not drugs – it’s just this quest should be coming to a head, hopefully – because I will not make it must longer.”

“Then go out and have good root,” Dawn said. “That sorts you.”

“I can’t,” he said.

“Anders,” Dawn started and then did cocked her head and her gaze sharpened. She laid her hand on his chest, closed her eyes and breathed in and then exhaled. Her eyes flew open and narrowed. Anders almost took a step back, he’d seen cranky Dawn, and irritated Dawn, caffeine deprived Dawn and magazine wielding warrior Dawn and this was one he only had vague hazy recollection of from when Sjofn was bleeding on the floor of this office - this was really very angry Dawn. “Who cursed you?” Her voice was lower and her words slow and precise as if she was barely restraining herself.

“I’m not cursed,” Anders said.

Dawn gasped, “Anders you’re impotent.”

“Can you not use that word,” Anders said turning away.

“Who did this to you?” She hissed.

Anders turned back, rubbed his eyes and said, “I don’t think he knew he was cursing me, but Axl ordered me not to have sex.”

Dawn was stunned her lips moved and no sound emerged. She shook her head and finally said, “What is wrong with him?”

“Can you? I mean I, I really don’t want to be suddenly fertile but is this.. is this your area?” Anders said.

Dawn stepped forward and placed her hand on his chest again and then moved the other down toward this cock.

“That still works,” Anders said backing up. “I mean-”

“If it was a medical problem I could fix it but this is a jumped up boy playing god.” Dawn said. “Well, we’ll see how he likes it. I may not be able to lift his curse but Odin’s going to have a lot of time on his hands –

“No. No. We need Odin to be able to consummate with Frigg,” Anders said.

“Anders, you have never used your powers on Axl. He is a spoilt brat. You have looked out for him, been both mother and brother, and he just strikes out at you like this in anger,” Dawn said. “He’s not getting an erection again until I hear a believable apology.”

She swung her satchel onto her shoulder and vanished.

Andres pulled out his phone and called her, the call went to voice mail. “Dawn, seriously stay away from my brother’s cock. I will take care of this. He’s an idiot. Keep in mind he’s one of us feral Norse gods who don’t know anything and have to put it all together ourselves”.

He then called Axl but the call went to voice mail.

Later as he slid into pew, he leaned forward and asked Axl, “Did you see Dawn today?”

“Yeah, she was waiting for me when I went to get in my car. She hit me with a rolled up newspaper and called me and ungrateful gormless git,” Axl said, “What was that all about?”

“Well,” Ander sighed, as he leaned back to way for the fiasco to start. “It’s not like you had much of a sex life anyway.”

Axl turned in his seat and said, “What?”

The ceremony was brief and painful to watch. As they parted in the parking lot Anders stopped on the way to his car and said, “Axl, you need to get Dawn’s forgiveness or finding the Frigg will do you no good.”

“Why’s that?” Mike asked.

Anders opened the door to his car and said, “Mr. Floppy is not going to do the deed. Fertility goddesses do not take impotency curses well. You’re going to have to do a lot of groveling, little brother. She’s never been this angry with me.”

Anders left to go meet with Agnetha. He wasn’t sure if it was Bragi’s powers or her belief in Anders greed that had her sending him in search of Yggdrasill but it seemed like so much hoodoo to him.

+

The next week, as Axl followed Anders around the store trying to recruit him for the Frigg hunt, Anders talked and talked and said nothing. Finally just when Axl looked ready to storm off Anders said, “You haven’t have you?”

“Haven’t what?” Axl said.

“Gotten laid, masturbated or even woke up with morning wood, since Ty’s wedding? Have you?” Anders said.

Axl looked around as if there would suddenly be a plethora of hot young women milling about the men’s outerwear department.

“How,” Axl blushed and started again, “how did you know about that?”

“You need to talk to Dawn,” Anders said. “You’ll be no good to the Frigg with Mr. Floppy. Take her flowers, she likes pink and yellow lilies – not roses she doesn’t like the smell of roses. And be sincere.”

“What? Dawn? What did I do to Dawn?” Axl said.

“Do you remember when you forbade me to have sex?” Anders said. “Actions have consequences Axl.”

“I didn’t know you and Dawn – I thought that was one time; I mean you’re always – she doesn’t care that you’re a man-whore?” Axl said.

“Whether or not I’m plowing Dawn is not your business. Nor does it impact your impotency, you egg,” Anders said. “She’s my partner – and she doesn’t think I’m a whore – she thinks I’m an attractive, healthy man in my sexual prime - which I am. Listen, do what you want but I’m not going to be around to run interference for you so you will be leading your search with no ability to consummated it if you don’t clean up your mess.”

“How is it my mess?” Axl said.

Anders said, “You need to convince Dawn you are not some stropped up toddler – she was as mad about the bruises from you throwing me to get me to intervene in Mike’s incredible leaking house fiasco as about you effectively cursing me – she thinks you need to be more aware of the powers you wield. Dawn’s not like us. She’s normal. Her family gave a fuck – they taught her awareness of her actions. You know they refer to the Norse as feral? Think we’re all half rabid with power. You need to prove to her you’re not. And unless you’re planning to fulfill the agreement with the Irish I’m going to need to be able to consummate the deal so to speak.”

“What?” Axl said.

Anders sighed, “You are a gormless git. Axl you entered, on behalf of the Norse pantheon, into an agreement designed to bring us closer to the Irish. Remember, circle of glowing stones, ring any bells?”

“They’re going to educate the goddesses and fix Sjofn, after she learns her lesson,” Axl said.

“And?” Anders prompted, when Axl didn’t jump in he added, “We mix blood; our blood, their blood. Children Axl. You agreed to three children born from their pantheon and ours.”

“I did?” Axl said, his voice higher in pitch than normal.

Andre rubbed a hand across the stubble on his chin and said, “What the hell were you doing in that tent with Olaf, getting high? Yes. You did. You can imagine how they’re going to take it when I say sorry, Odin has forbidden it.”

“Oh. Well you can have sex,” Axl said, and at Anders exasperated look stood up straighter and said, “I Odin, say you Bragi may henceforth have sex. Is that better?”

“Almost,” Anders said, “I want you word you will never use your power to forbid me from having sex ever again, and I’m doing this for you – you do not want to face Dawn if you make this mistake twice.”

“I Odin swear I will never again forbid Bragi to have sex,” Axl said.

“Good, now don’t forget pink and yellow lilies and say you’re sorry; don’t just beg to get it working again. And for god sake remember goddess are dangerous do not piss them off without reason,” Anders said. “I’m going out of town on business – try to remember Dawn’s a fertility goddess, it’s not that she doesn’t like you; it’s just that she thinks you’re a moron.”

Ander finished his shopping. At his flat he put his purchases straight into his suitcase, and added a shaving kit and headed to the airport. He thought about calling Dawn when he was safely in Norway. But got a drink in the first class lounge while waiting for boarding and made the call.

“I love it how you answer the phone like that Dawn, it send shivers down my spine.” Anders said. He knew she was going to be angry, she hated when his brother nonsense crashed her perfectly organized plans.

“Where are you? We’re meeting with Fargate about the dance club at Four?” Dawn said.

“I’m not going to make it, I need you to feed my fish,” Anders started.

“No. Anders. No, not now. If you’re just avoiding the fall out from Ty dumping my brother to get married, well I would have appreciated a heads up on that Anders you are the reason they met after all,” Dawn said

“I love it when you nag me it makes me horny,” Anders said.

Dawn growled, “you will talk to me.”

“Too late, I’m at the airport,” Anders cut in.

“You can’t go away – where are you going?” Dawn said.

“You like it when I go away; it’s nice and peaceful around the office. Norway,” he said.

“Why are you going to Norway?” Dawn said, not managing hide her frustration at all.

Anders replied, “Business

“We don’t have any business in Norway,” Dawn said.

The call degenerated from there so Anders said he had to board to end the call and really meant root with one of the trolly dollies, now that he was uncursed. Before he could approach one, Dawn walked into the lounge and Anders face palmed, lifting the hand he’d slapped his face enough to take a drink from his glass. Dawn apparently had spotted him because she stalked over, looking quite angry and quite dishy in a short skirted suit of gunmetal grey and a lacy pink blouse.

“George is holding down the fort.” Dawn said as she stopped in front of him. She glanced at the young woman he’d been checking out and stepped even closer. She put one knee on either side of his thighs and kneeled over his lap. “Andres. You and I are going to have a talk.”

“I was hoping to avoid this,” Ander said.

Dawn smiled, “As always, I will give you a choice. You can get on that plane – and I will make sure you have a very productive trip – with no… outside distractions.”

“You wouldn’t-” Anders started.

“Or,” she said, and dragged a finger down his chest stopping just short of where they’d get asked to vacate the lounge, “you can instead of spending twenty four hours in route to Norway, come with me and you can be dropped off, with your luggage with no noticeable travel time.”

Anders sighed, “I have no control over Ty. We were backed into a corner. Mike would have died. And none of us knew what he was doing before he did it.”

“Time and place Anders, will you come with me?” Dawn said.

“Where?” He asked, not that he thought Dawn would harm him but this was an angry Dawn. The same protective instincts which caused her to curse Axl made her very protective of all her brothers.

“Somewhere safe, trust me,” Dawn said.

Anders retrieved his luggage and started to head toward the car park, but Dawn held out her hand and said, “Whatever you do don’t let go of me, or your luggage.”

And there was darkness. Not just darkness he could feel Dawn’s hand it seemed to pull him forward. But he couldn’t feel the ground under his feet or see anything. Each step was like he would fall forward and just keep falling and then they stepped into sunlight. It had been just after noon when he called Dawn from the lounge but now light had a late afternoon or early evening feel. There were three flag poles with family crests of some sort flying high off to the side and Dawn lead him up a well-worn path to a rise in the surrounding desert. A surreal looking building – like a castle made of poured concrete with flowing modern lines rose ahead of them. There were outbuildings on different levels, complex terraces with outdoor rooms delineated by canvas shades and wooden pergolas.

“Where are we,” Anders asked.

“Home,” Dawn said. “California, it takes about twice as long to get to Norway so we have about twenty four hours before your hotel should expect you.”

“I thought it would take longer, it wasn’t much different than when you’ve taken me from the office to my flat.” Ander said.

She led him across the outdoor living areas into the cool shade of the building proper. “Leave your luggage, would you like a drink? Something cool?”

“Beer,” Anders said, figuring he was going to need a clear head, as he watched Dawn slide behind a bar on one side of the commons room.

Instead of bottles Dawn produced icy glasses from somewhere under the counter and filled them from a tap. The first taste exploded on his palette, it was fresh and had a bite and he immediately felt the weight of everything he’d had to deal with in the past few weeks lift off his shoulders.

“Dad brews it himself, kind of his thing,” Dawn said.

Anders slid on to a high stool near the bar and Dawn came around and sat next to him. “I would really have appreciated a heads up-” was all the further she got when her phone rang. She answered it, “Sorry to run out on you, George, but something came up.” She paused and listened, “No,” her voice sounded much harder and she shot Ander a look and said, “Andres did not mention some strange woman stepping into my company and taking over. Email me her contact information – I will...look into this. I have to go right now George but I’ll take care of it. Thank you for letting me knows George. I do so appreciate being kept in the loop.”

As soon as she ended the call Anders said, “About that.”

“About that,” Dawn said.

“Could I get another of these?” Anders asked with a winning smile.

 


	22. So open up your eyes, I got a big surprise

 

“Don’t worry about Dawn, I’ll take care of her,” Agnetha said, from Anders’ computer screen.

Anders fought to keep his face bland. He had no idea what was going on. He’d only been away a couple weeks. Apparently Agnetha hadn’t taken Dawn routing her from their offices well, or slapping her with a past due bill and the threat of legal action. Given that Dawn had itemized every expense from hotels to airfare – despite moving him through the lea lines - and then padded it with fake consultations with local experts and real consultations with the multiple doctorate Ramirez Jeremiah McKenna, it was almost understandable that Agnetha was concerned about how much this mortal knew about Anders quest.

“Really Anders,” Agnetha said, “I understand that you’re too lazy to do your own work but she was quite rude”

“She’s a full partner, Mother,” Anders purred. “If someone showed up at your office and tried to chase you out, how would you react? Given you haven’t an ounce of charm there’s no way you’re going to get back in her good graces, stay away from my stuff, stay away from my people and Dawn won’t feel the need to utterly destroy you. You may be the goddess of prosperity but she has as business degree she earned the right way and helped build j:pr from the ground up. Is there a line item you feel was charged in error?”

“I’ll have to look it over, but should she know where you are?” Agnetha said.

“Just pay her and hope she forgets about you,” Ander said, “I realize you had no problem skipping out on four children with no visible means of support but that business is Dawn’s baby and she is a much better mother than you. Don’t threaten it; try to remember how endangering the young goes in nature documentaries.”

Agnetha said, “Anders I think she knows too much, she’s a liability. It’s obvious she has some sort of history with Ty and I don’t think she’s taking his marriage well.”

“None of us are taking his marriage well. Fucking Hel; he was bruised at the ceremony, that cunt gets off on slicing him up, Dawn was sure he was feverish the last time she saw him. God or not he can die from an infection,” Anders said.

“He didn’t look well at the house warming,” Agnetha said, “you’re brother seemed afraid when I last talked to him,”

Anders was immediately suspicious the bitch was trying to play him but had to ask, “Ty? Afraid of what?”

“It seems Eva is interested in having a baby,” Agnetha said.

Anders blanked his face. Eva was a freak, and hardly capable of keeping her shit together. Whatever medication kept her functioning before she’d been surrounded by gods and goddesses didn’t seem to be working, or she’d stopped taking it when she’d been informed of her divinity. But Agnetha was a manipulative cunt who had at one time or another tried to kill all of them so any motherly concern on her part had to be part of some larger scheme. Using worry about Ty was a good hook to manipulate him and she probably thought from half a world away he couldn’t do anything. Before the silence could become awkward he said, “Ty knows how to prevent babies. That’s one lesson the Johnson boys learned in blood and bone, after growing up in that house you can bet each of us would see to permanent sterility rather than bring a kid into what we grew up with.” Please with the reaction that got from Agnetha, Anders twisted the knife and added, “What? We’re not acknowledging that not only should you never have been a mother but that any human with an ounce of compassion would see you dead before you’re allowed near a kid. Tell me Mother, why didn’t you stay a tree? For a goddess of prosperity you seem to destroy everyone you come into contact with.”

“I-“ She started and Anders wondered if the tears in her eye were a great acting job or if she had some vaporous salve off screen to make her eyes water on cue.

“Never meant for Ty to be the one that suffered from your machinations? I could almost believe that but I’m not a kid anymore, and I’m certainly not jealous of your ‘favoritism’ to Ty any more that I desired Dad’s ‘favoritism’ to Mike. The two of you fucked them up in your own very special way,” Anders said. “If you asked me I’m the lucky one, having both of you hate me. Do not fuck with Ty, he’s mine. I’ll take care of it.”

Anders ended the skype with Agnetha and grabbed his cell to call Ty. But, room service arrived with some of the most disgusting food he’d ever smelled or seen. Instead of calling Ty to ask about Dawn, given the crap Agnetha had been pushing about her drinking and missing work which Anders did not believe. He called the Keep.

“Senora; it’s Anders. I’m in Norway. Can someone come collect me? And fetch Dawn? I need to talk to one of the parents, preferably the Donna if she’s available. I have a feeling Auckland might not be safe for Dawn right now.” Anders said. He always made an effort to get to the point with the seneschal of the Keep, frankly she terrified him. Even before he knew the middle-aged woman wasItzpapalotl he had understood how she ran the keep with an iron hand, never raising her voice and only occasionally raising and eyebrow. Honestly, he thought Dawn had modeled some of her best bland looks after that woman’s.

There was no way to completely sober up but he brushed his teeth and freshened up, just in time to see Gary step out of a shimmer in the air leading Dawn by the hand. “Anders, what is going on?” Dawn asked.

Without asking Gary reached over and placed a hand on his neck and he was instantly sober. “You had to do that,” Anders said.

“Right,” Gary said. “You want to meet with Mum in full battle mode buzzed?”

“Anders,” Dawn interrupted, and she looked so Dawn. Only yeah, he should have done some time zone math because this was not-at-work Dawn. Not-at-work Dawn had her hair in pigtails instead of a loose chignon and was wearing shorts and a tight low cut tee shirt instead of her tailored suites. Standing there she looked less like his viscously competent partner and more like someone whose long legs he’d like to have thrown over his shoulders while he demonstrated his oral competence.

“Dawn.” He greeted her a bit too enthusiastically. “Always good to see you, just so we’re all on the same page, you’re not drunk and suicidal are you?”

“I though you cleansed his blood alcohol?” Dawn asked her brother.

“Agnetha called to let me know she thought as Ty’s ex you were spiraling into depression and had started drinking heavily and missing work,” Anders said.

Dawn opened her mouth, closed it sighed and said, “What can she possibly hope to gain from this?”

“Think about it, if you were mortal, because I don’t think Agnetha has connected you to the Irish Pantheon any more than she’d connected George to the Maori. She’s laying ground work. If you were suddenly discovered dead of an overdose or alcohol poisoning she’s planting seeds so it will all seem more plausible,” Anders said.

Gary gave a growl but Dawn laughed, “She can’t be that stupid. Even if I was mortal it’s not like she can freeze me to death. She an out of shape old woman, I’d gut her like a fish.”

“Not if she drugged you, not if you were at her mercy. I’ll give you from her track record she’s most likely to fuck up a murder attempt but I am not willing to take that chance. I want to talk to your Mum, not just about this but about what to do with this honking big tree branch.” Anders said.

“We’ll bring it with us,” Gary said.

Anders sighed and said, “Its Yggdrasil.”

“Fuck,” Gary said.

Dawn said, “That does present a problem. It can’t be moved on the lea lines; that would be like… materializing the TARDIS inside the TARDIS. How does RJ think it should be transported? Could we ship it?”

While Gary called RJ, She sat at Anders computer and started typing. Just as Anders offered Gary a drink she said, “UPS can have it from Oslo to Auckland in five days, As long as it’s under 70 kilos, that’s their max but I’m sure it’s less and its big but is it more than 2 meters? I have it as under 3 about 8 feet.”

“We Yanks have corrupted you,” Gary said, “you don’t even think in metric anymore.”

“It’ll cost an arm and a leg and I am billing that bitch double,” Dawn said. “Andres don’t you hand it over until she’s paid in full.”

Anders nodded and said, “How safe would shipping it be?”

“Well, she’s the only one who knows you were sent for it, if we don’t bill her until its back under your control. What does the damn thing do anyway?” Dawn said.

“Not a clue,” Anders said, “I’d still be looking for it if I used her instructions. RJ knew right where to go.”

“Gary get some measurements on that thing, and go to the artist colony near the Cloud House they have to have some cylindrical shipping containers. I’m going to print a label at the front desk and schedule a pick up. I’ll have it sent to my flat, it’s warded to all get out and yours may as well have a revolving door. Honestly, Anders, your family,” she said.

“I still want to talk to your Mum,” Anders said. “I don’t trust Freyja. She has it in for you, and I don’t think it’s just because you routed her from my business.”

Gary had vanished to go on his assignment and Dawn stood with an indulgent look on her face. “Anders, I am not some delicate little flower. If she pushes, I push back and if she thinks for a moment I won’t dump her in the ocean or on an iceberg-” Dawn started.

“She doesn’t know, well a lot of things I’d prefer to keep her in the dark about but she doesn’t know you’re a goddess, she doesn’t know how important you are, for that matter she seems to be woefully underestimating Ty and his lady of death,” Anders said.

Dawn smiled a particularly nasty smile and said, “And if she thinks I’m the ex she has to worry about wait until she crosses Donn.”

+

Ty was thankful that McMurdo was also in the dead of night, and that Paul tended to keep his Skype open whenever he was in quarters. He’d left Eva sleeping, making his way to the living room area and powering up his laptop. He was terrified of the path they were on, terrified of her, terrified for her. She was an open yawning void and he longed to fill it, give her what she’d never had with her fucked up father and absent mother. She’d had too much of what meant nothing and not enough of people choosing her for the right reasons. He’d tried and tried, he did love her in a way, she was this beautiful, fragile, dangerous and unearthly creature; spitting and hissing and wanting to hurt before she was hurt wanting to provoke any sort of reaction from her father and he’d could see so much of himself in her, the pain of his mother’s emotional manipulations – if he’d been in her place, alone without his brothers, not knowing what Hod’s cold darkness meant when it crept into his soul.

But he hadn’t been alone, Mike had done his best to be father to a sullen resentful teen and Anders, who would die before he admitted it, had stepped into the role of mother long before Elizabet had buggered off to be a tree. Once Axl was weaned Elizabet had shown utter distain for the boisterous toddler and Anders had been a deft hand at keeping Axl both out of sight and out of mind. Eva had no one but paid minders that her father treated the way he treated all women, insuring they never stayed long enough for her to bond. The way Colin talked about women in general and Eva in particular had Ty nearly freezing him solid. He wished, well he’d wished it for himself so often why not wish for his wife, that Eva could have grown up with Paul’s family.

Here he was, calling his ex, who he hadn’t had the decently to notify he was getting married; or even break up with him before the wedding. But Paul was the only one he could call about this. Sure Sedna was a death goddess too, but he’d never had the kind of relationship with Doc Molly that Paul had and if he knew women at all he was sure he’d be on her shit list long after Paul had forgiven him. And out of all the death deities he’d met, Paul was the most well-adjusted which was a whole other level of terrifying.

But aside from his weird dark humor, Paul was happy. Ty knew that that had been the first thing that had drawn Ty to him. He desperately needed Paul’s frank common sense. His brothers, well excluding Anders but he was not available right now, couldn’t understand what Eva meant to him. She needed him; he’d made vows to her. And it was more than just saving Mike and screwing Colin. He’d felt it the instant he laid eyes on her. It didn’t make him love Paul any less it was just he had no way to separate her soul from his. He knew he couldn’t walk away from this, this more than marriage, not as long as one of them was alive.

The few times they’d talked since Ty had finally manned up and called him, Paul had been calm and accepting. He’d been rueful when Ty said he had to do it and now that he’d married her, he owed her his best shot. The few times they’d spoken Paul had offered patience advice and occasionally pointed out the advantage of polyamorous relationships. The Skype window showed the quarters he and Paul had shared. Smaller than his ice carving room, bed, storage and Paul moving into the frame. “Jesus fucking Christ you look like you were left outside in condition one. What the hell happened?”

“Hel. Funny you should mention that.” Ty said ruefully. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you before and I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you after. This thing – between Hel and Hod; it’s a soul sink; a drain on both of us. It’s relentless and unyielding and intellectually I know one of us is going to end up dead. But in here,” he gestured to his gut, “I know I’ll just stand and watch it come – she’s part of me and everyone is telling me it’s the part I should say no to but -”

He cut off abruptly, painfully swallowing a sob. Paul stared at him like he was a train wreck. Ty couldn’t believe he’d just dumped that. He’d meant to apologize, the very least Paul deserved was an apology and Ty had been apologizing at the start of every contact.

“What changed? What happened? This isn’t you angry or in love or frustrated – I know what all those look like. You’re scared. Why,” Paul said.

“It’s been getting worse; my brothers staged a thing – an intervention so to speak; sort of a ‘someone’s going to die Ty and it better not be you’. Eva, she cut Stacey, we got into it again; she just needs control, to feel she’s in control. I get that. But now she wants to have a kid. What will it be with us making babies? Will it be like - ” he paused and looked away. “I remember what it was like. It was wrong the way it was with Dad. But it’s not always like that – you’re parents -”

“I’m coming though.” Paul shut down the connection abruptly.

Ty blinked into the silence of his empty house that wasn’t the response he was expecting. He’d thought about turning to Agnetha but previously Paul had said something about her being a different vessel than his mother and asking what memories he had of previous Hod’s made him wonder just how much of her attempts to connect with him and his brothers were actually attempts to manipulate them. So instead he’d skyped Paul. Times like this he missed Antarctica so badly he could taste it. The air rippled and Paul stepped through carrying a small wooden crate under one arm. He pulled Ty into a one armed hug, smelling of crisp and clean the way only subzero winds can.

Paul stepped back and said “I’m calling Gary.”

“I don’t need healing,” Ty said.

Paul traced his fingers lightly over the glyphs branded into Ty’s chest. Eva opened the door stalking out of their bedroom wearing only Ty’s tee shirt. She stopped and glared and said, “Who’s this?”

“Paul Kelly,” Paul said. He placed the crate on the table next to Ty’s lap top and crossed to where Eva stood and smirking down at her. “Sorry I missed the wedding.”

Eva blinked up at him looking suspicious in a way only someone raised by Loki could. “So why are you here now?”

“Eva - ” Ty started.

“Are you familiar with the term po’olua?” Paul said he took Eva’s hand and escorted her to the couch and sat down; she sat turned to the side and facing him and shook her head. “It’s Hawaiian, my sister’s Hawaiian. Maybe partible paternity?” Eva shot a confused look at Ty.

Ty crossed and sat on Eva’s other side, just behind her, “Paul. Eva’s a bit delicate-“ Ty cut off with a groan when Eva’s elbow shot back and caught him in the gut.

“I’m not delicate. Who the fuck are you?” She said yanking her hand free from Paul.

“I’m the father of Ty’s children, of your children,” Paul said, despite Eva looking at him like he was crazy he continued. “Your mother, Ty’s mother; his father they all booked. What do you call it here, shot through? No child of yours will be alone; they will all have Clan - Kin. Come Ragnarok; come Armageddon; even if the apocalypse they face is one of us. One of us will always be there to step between the children and the excesses of our godhoods.”

“And what’s your godhood?” She asked.

“Death,” he answered with a manic terrifying smile; Ty chuffed and face-palmed.

“I’m Death,” Eva said through gritted teeth.

Paul laughed, his eyes lost their cold gleam and his smile showed less teeth, “Sure – Norse,” he said with a derisive snort. “You know, all the other pantheons call you the Frat Party Gods, all that feasting, fucking and fighting. I come from an actual working pantheon; Irish. We guard the lea lines.”

Ty added softly, “We lived and worked together, up until Axl’s twenty first when we started all this quest shit.

“You two are together?” Eva hissed and swung.

Paul casually caught her fist and laughed and said, “No, we three are together.”

“You don’t even like women,” Ty said.

“No,” Paul said, irritatingly calm. “I don’t like having sex with women, I love women. We’ve had this talk before Ty.”

“I don’t want to have sex with you,” Eva started.

“Liar,” Paul interrupted with a laugh.

Eva shrieked, “I don’t want you to have sex with my husband.”

“Now that, I believe,” Paul said showing his teeth again.

“Please don’t be a bastard,” Ty sighed. He felt Eva lean back against him making herself small in that way that scared him for her.

“I’m here to make sure one of you doesn’t kill the other. Think of me as the safety valve,” Paul said to Eva, and then directed to Ty. “Sedna said she saw this coming since you left. We’ll manage to cover my comings and goings.”

Paul looked back down at Eva when he met her eyes she said softly, “you really think this is going to work?”

“Has in my family,” Paul answered.

She said, “Whose Sedna, not one of those flighty oracles?”

“She’s another Death Goddess, from the Inuits,” Ty said.

Paul said, “She’s been a Death Goddess for nearly six decades and raised two kids and while getting her doctorate. Being Hel doesn’t make you any less Eva. Eva gets to make decisions and have a life; Hel comes along for the ride. Hel got treated like crap by your entire pantheon based upon who her parents were, she never had choices. You get to show her what it’s like, to take control of your life; to decide what you want and to take responsibility for what you decide.

+

The fucking tree branch was on its way to Auckland and Anders renewed his hotel suite for another week in case Agnetha checked. He packed up and left with Gary and Dawn. Back at the Keep he was installed in the same guest suite he’d stayed in before arriving in Norway. He kept the laptop pointed at a nondescript corner of his suite; his check-ins with Agnetha should still look like he was in a hotel room. After a conference with the parents, Anders was left to his own devices. Dawn insisted on going back to work, spitting mad at Agnetha.

Dom had shown up at his door with sunscreen and a bathing suit. Anders hadn’t packed for this weather and Dawn said she’d raid his flat for more appropriate clothing after work. He could get used to the sprawling opulence of the Keep. Dom wasn’t much older than Axl by Anders estimate but he had the same swaggering self confidence that Dawn’s brothers had or perhaps all the children who had grown up in the Keep. He was determined to prevent Anders from sulking in his room and dragged him around the grounds.

They ended up at one of the secluded pools scattered about the grounds. Dom had pointed out the family pool, the children’s pool, one for the au pairs, and one for security personnel. The one they ended up had broad canvas sails over hanging high over the water and the surrounding deck. High natural desert rock formations rose above one side and a waterfall built into it cycled the water and added a white noise to make it seem more detached from the bustle of the Keep. Anders had just relaxed in one of the padded lounge chairs when Dom, straddled it behind him and started to rub lotion into his shoulders.

“You know I don’t swing that way,” Anders said. And considering the time they’d spent naked together realized he didn’t sound as sure as he normally did.

Anders could hear the smile in Domingo’s voice when he said, “I’m Eros, everybody swings my way. Besides you don’t want us sending you home with a tan when you’re supposed to be languishing away in some Artic local.”

“Did you grow up here?” Anders said.

Dom stopped rubbing he lotion in for just a breath and then started to knead the tense muscles of Anders shoulders and back. He said, “Mostly. Abuela was here and things where better here than in New York with Mom and Dad.”

“They fight?” Anders asked.

Dom said, “No. They’re still crazy in love. Great sex life to, makes sense I guess them producing me and Sonia. Aunt Maia, she and Dad were all each other had and he can’t just move her somewhere else. They build the business up together. She doesn’t hate us but long before our godhoods manifested she couldn’t be around us, you know? Incompatible godhoods, it happens.”

“Dawn mentioned something about that, I never heard of it,” Anders said. “What’s you aunt goddess of?”

“Technically the hunt; and you know how fucked up hunt gods tend to be,” Dom said, “but she fucking Artemis and well for our pantheon, Dad’s and mine, Artemis is like Thor is to yours, you know always a little left of sane. Aunt Maia really takes the chastity thing to heart and with Sonia being Tlazolteotl; lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds and me being passion, things worked better if we were packed off to Abuela.”

“I have a brother whose a hunt god,” Anders had closed his eyes, Dom’s strong hands were pretty much turning him to jelly, all but one part, and he didn’t want him to stop.

Dom sighed; his breath a light breeze against the back of Anders neck and said, “Let me guess. Won’t admit he’s wrong. Obsessed with winning and has blinders on against anything that isn’t his idea.”

“It’s like you know him,” Anders said. Dom scooted forward and wrapped an arm around Anders. “Seriously, straight,” Anders added although he was hard as a rock and really just wanted to lean back and relax against Dom.

Dom slid his hand into Anders trunks and cupped is balls lightly before lightly stocking his cock and said, “I heard you the first fifty times. It’s just a reach around; it’d be rude to leave you like this. Let it go.”

Anders leaned back and let Dom jerk him off. It wasn’t like it was the first time or even the tenth although his memory was a little hazy of the time spent with Dom and Dawn after Sjofn’s attack. After he came he lay a moment with his eyes closed in the arms of the much younger man, pondering just what etiquette dictated in this situation. He’d never have left a woman hanging when she got him off but he really had no experience and wasn’t sure what he could bring himself to do with Dom. “You really need to shave,” Dom murmured. “Dawn will not let you back in her bed if you look like a garden gnome.”

“I beg your pardon,” Anders said his eyes snapping open to find Dom’s dark dancing ones alight with mischief. “I do not look like a gnome.”

“It’s itchy,” Dom said. “I have a straight razor up in my room if you want me to take care of it. You could probably do with a little manscaping as well. You Norse are really hairy.” And that was how they both, and the lounge chair, ended up in the pool. They spent the next hour or so trying to drown one another and Anders was struck by just how not awkward sex with a man when not under the influence of the goddess of hook up was.

+

In a bid to distract Agnetha from Dawn, Michelle had been dumped back on her with instructions she was not to live alone. The parents had engraved a ruin on Michele that was the equivalent of the secure ankle bracelets used to track prisoners.

JT had walked into Agnetha’s office out of thin air. Other the weekly classes all of them were required to attend, conducted by an Australian woman who only introduced herself as Caireen, as far as Agnetha knew the Irish pantheon hadn’t been around. So a seeing one of Goibniu’s twin sons appear out of thin air and drop Michele at her feet before slapping a bundle of papers on Agnetha’s desk and vanishing was not in any way making her day better.

Michele stumbled to the wet bar and poured herself a drink. She was in loose unattractive clothing, a long sleeved tunic, draw string pants and sandals with no heel. She wore no makeup or jewelry and had a dark tan.

“Well you’re not staying with me,” Agnetha said. “I’ll put you with Ingrid she really can’t be trusted to look after herself anyway and you may as well be useful in some manner. You’ve lost your license. I expect you to get a job and pay rent.”

“My condo,” Michele started.

“I sold it,” Agnetha said. “Those Irish gods may have saved you from prison when they wiped your record but in doing so I lost the bond I posted for your release. You’re a liability Michele, find a way to make yourself useful.”


	23. We were doubly blessed 'cause we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed

 

Dawn sent up a prayer of thanks for George. He really was a godsend, pun intended. He’d been fielding Anders networking meetings like a trooper. She had explained who Agnetha was to him and that she wasn’t to be trusted. George had picked up that she was a goddess but Angnetha for all she pretended to be so in the know seemed to be oblivious to the gods of the other pantheons. George, of course, demurred that he wasn’t a very powerful god but he did seem to be the one with the best head on his shoulders as far as the Maori pantheon went. The rest of the ones she’d met seemed so young and still hopped up on their godhoods. Despite that Dawn had him add Hector to the payroll and sent Hector in to be fitted for a suit. With all this Norse crap she needed another body to be here to answer the phone if George was out filling in for Anders.

Her morning had started with strong hot coffee made by the Senora at the keep. They had a tete a tete about Freyja and her meddling, the Norse and their complicating everything with Folkmoots and things and about the fact that Sedna had contacted Mum about Paul leaving for Auckland abruptly and perhaps ending his contract at McMurdo. Then she’d left Anders with the family in time to get a couple hours sleep before the day here in Auckland.

So Dawn had powered though a breakfast meeting with a potential new client a lovely young woman named Hanna who ran a bridal shop in Pukekohe and was looking to move her business to downtown Auckland, not far from their agency. Dawn gave her an invite/postcard to the ‘women in business’ mixer j:pr sponsored and suggested she stop by and start making contacts before the move. And she was meeting with her in a week to pitch a launch campaign.

She called in an order to ‘Mecca’ another one of their clients, and picked up a tray of bagels with raspberry vanilla jam and smoked salmon on the side to take with her when she stopped by Ty and Eva’s place. Which she picked it up in routed.

“Sorry I missed the house warming,” she said in greeting and shoved the tray into Ty’s solar plexus. Dawn pushed by him as he gasped for air, nodded to Eva and leveled a look of icy distain at her younger brother before saying, “Is there a reason Abuela had to find out you’ve moved from the underworld grapevine?”

Paul looked stunned and then said, “Fuck, I just got here. How does she find out about this stuff?”

“Grandmothers know all and see all. And you young man had better bring your new bride home to meet her,” Dawn said trying to maintain her steeling resolve but losing it and grinning at him before throwing her arms around him and saying, “I’m so happy for you.” She then punched his arm and said, “Mum’s going to want to throw a party.”

They opened the takeaway platter and Dawn commiserated with Eva on what completely useless nobs the Norse gods were. Ty looked put out but Paul was apparently picking is battles and said nothing. Ty made coffee and Eva put out plates as they sat at the table.

“Honestly,” Dawn said to Eva, “Anders is right I don’t mind when he buggers off, it is very peaceful when he’s not underfoot. What bothers me is this jumped up ex-tree thinks she can send my partner halfway around the world at a moment’s notice and then she thinks she can walk in and have a look at my client list and try her hand in running my company. I ought to see she gets pregnant, that might keep her out of my way.”

“You can do that?” Eva said, with interest.

Dawn demurred, “well I still need a male to plant the seed, but I can see she gets knocked up even at her age. Oh, we’re sisters-in-law so if you ever want to get pregnant or if you want two or three children and want to do it all in one pregnancy you just let me know. I’m Paul’s sister Dawn,” she punctuated it with a smack at Paul for not introducing her, “also Boann, goddess of the River Boyne, and there’s a bit about a cow-”

“She’s a fertility goddess,” Paul said, “and my sister Summer is a sea goddess, so if you surf she’s will chase the waves with you and um Ella is too little to be chosen yet but we’re all pretty sure she’ll get Malinalxochitl – so she’s your go to for snakes, scorpions and insects; just don’t eat them in front of her.”

Dawn huffed out in exasperation and said, “You don’t have to add that last part.”

“We never have rattlesnake anymore, not since she spazed out. I like rattlesnake,” Paul said.

After they finished brunch and Dawn was making her goodbye’s Paul asked, “Can’t you come with us, maybe run interference?”

Dawn smirked at him and said, “I have to work. I have a meeting at two; I can’t reschedule Anders already canceled once and it took some doing to get Mr. Fargate to reschedule.”

+

Ty was kind of disturbed by how well Paul seemed to get on with Eva. Eva had even been nice, for her, with Dawn. Not that Eva hadn’t already impaled Paul’s heart with a knife and figured out she could rot his flesh like a zombie. The fact that he pulled out the knife and the wound closed and that he just hugged her and oozed some weird black bile all over her when he was rotting, seemed to be the best response. It had certainly stopped her from doing it again.

So they changed clothes and Paul dragged then through the ley lines. The blinding sun of the desert afternoon greeted them as they followed the path to the Keep.

“Is it later in the day?” Eva said.

Paul said, “About five hours later but it’s the day before.”

Only the Donna’s flag was flying, which was a relief, Ty wasn’t looking forward to seeing Eva’s reaction to meeting Paul’s daddy. The Senora came out to greet them and while hugging Paul smacked him on the ass and chided him for not bringing his bride sooner. They met under a shaded pergola in an outdoor living area. There was a brief moment when Eva and she looked at each other and Eva was the first to lower her eyes, before the Senora called her Nina and embraced her as warmly as she had Paul.

Anders came strolling down a path from one of the endless terraces surrounding the Keep in a pair of board shorts with a towel over his shoulders. He was accompanied by a very handsome young man Ty thought he remembered being introduced to as Sonia’s brother.

“Domingo,” Anders said, “you remember my brother, Ty. This is his lovely wife, Eva.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Norway?” Ty asked.

Anders sighed and said, “Have you ever been to Norway? In January? The tree is a sadist.”

Ty said, “You’re not actually calling her ‘the tree’ to her face are you?”

“She’s the one who buggered off. If she doesn’t want to be called the tree she shouldn’t have decided to become one,” Anders reasoned as he wandered over to one of the grills that had a large soup pot on it and peeked under the lid.

The Senora made an exasperated noise and started fussing at him in Spanish. Anders backed away with his hands up in surrender and his most charming smile and said, “It smells so good.”

“It’s birria; it’s not ready, off all of you to your rooms. We dine at sunset.” She said.

Ty didn’t know where Anders and Domingo scampered off to, but he and Eva went up to Paul’s suite on the children’s floor. Eva fortunately had dressed for the heat because only he and Paul had clothes there. It wouldn’t be too long until sunset and they relaxed in the lounge area of the children’s floor after Paul opened a bottle of tempranillo.

+

Dawn was early for her meeting. Mr. Fargate had suggested meeting at one of the bars he owned. She was surprised it seemed busy for so early in the afternoon and didn’t think it was a good place for a business meeting but she supposed it was better than at the dance club he owned.

“You should try an Appletini,” an attractive young woman in vivid green said.

Dawn startled and said, “Oh, thank you no. I’m here to meet Mr. Fargate, Is he in?”

“I expect him shortly,” she said, “Is he expecting you?”

“Yes, I’m Dawn Kelly from j:pr,” she said, “my, you certainly pull in the crowd for so early in the day.”

“We do alright, I’m Helen Larvig, the manager here,” she said, “do you know much about the club scene.”

“No, to be honest I leave that to my partner, he enjoys it more than me,” Dawn said. “I prefer to work behind the scenes; he’s the expert at networking. Oh, except for our women in business mixers. Do come, it’s a great way to make contacts in the area.” Dawn looked though her satchel and handed one of the postcards to Helen.

Neal Fargate arrived and ushered Dawn to a table to discuss the club he’d just bought, ‘Legends’. He was interested in relaunching the club and getting more exposure. Dawn was glad she was planning to head to the Keep with clothes for Anders because this really was more his bailiwick.

+

Michele had had to go back to her mother to get some of her old wardrobe. Agnetha wasn’t telling what happened to all the stuff that had been in her condo. She was expected to bunk with Ingrid in some skeevy hotel with no kitchen or lounge area, just the bedroom and bath. Well she wasn’t having that. Once she was dressed and looking her best she paid a call on Colin Gundersen. After all she’d missed the wedding and felt the need to welcome him to the pantheon. Loki was a major player in the Norse pantheon and if Agnetha considered her a liability perhaps Gundersen would see the value of a goddess in his corner.

As she approached his home she paused as a shiver of fear went through her. The Irish had turned her over to Agnetha, if she chose to cast her out it then Michele wasn’t violating the letter of their restrictions. Still, she thought, Bragi was supposed to be such a tiny god, but he’d had sway at the Folkmoot and not even Odin could gainsay him. Perhaps the power of the god in the legends didn’t translate to their earthly vessels.

Steeling herself she buzzed the gate.

“Who are you and why are you here,” a man’s voice barked.

Michele smiled, people could hear it in your voice when you smiled and said, “Sjofn. And you’re Loki. I wondered; have the rest of the pantheon kept you in the dark about the other pantheons?”

The gate swung open automatically and the voice said, “Come on in.”

 


	24. And I'm gonna need somebody to make me feel like you do

 

 

Michele woke. Colin had bolted upright in bed and stalked naked out of the bedroom. They had just gotten together so for all she knew this was normal behavior for him. He didn’t claim to be an oracle but for some reason she got up and slipped on a robe. The fact that Colin was the kind of man who had high-end female lingerie in his closet could point to the fact that he was a player. She knew he would rather she see him as the consummate ladies’ man, but she wondered if he had a crossdressing skeleton in his closet as well. It would be prudent to have some dirt on him in case she needed leverage.

Moving as quietly as she could Michele prowled around Colin’s spacious home, wondering where he’d gotten off to. She found him in the main lounge off the pool lying on the floor in a circle of candles. As she watched she realized the flame on each pulsed in time like a heartbeat. Loki was a fire god after all but it was creepy. Not amazing as powers go but for all she knew this wasn’t all he was capable of.

“If you’re not going to do something useful, like suck me off, go back to bed,” He said.

Michele rolled her eyes since his were closed he wouldn’t see. God or mortal, men were so useless. “I thought there was an attack with the way you bolted,” she said.

“I’m trying to find out what is going on, so bugger off,” He said.

+

“What the fuck are you supposed to be?” Eva slurred, looking as surprised as someone who was wasted could.

Agnetha kept smiling and smoothly knocked her to the ground with a blow to the head and dropped the rock she’d used to make contact.

As she started to pull Eva toward the cold room, hampered by her drunken struggles, a large hand wrapped around her throat and threw her into the room, the door slammed and there was the sound of something being shoved into the door handle.

Agnetha righted herself, touched blood from where she’d bitten her lip when she landed and fumbled in the track suit she was wearing feeling for her phone. She wasn’t sure who it would be prudent to call. Not, of course the police, nor Ty, she had been sure that once the deed was done she could control Ty’s actions but Eva had too much influence; and while the hand on her throat had been cool it hadn’t been as cold as Ty’s would have been especially if he was angry so she had no idea who was out there.

Ingrid was useless, so it was Stacey, who seemed far too enamored of Eva even now they knew the girl wasn’t Frigg. It should probably be Michele. Suddenly, Agnetha realized she hadn’t given Michele a phone since the Irish had shipped her back. She was supposed to be with Ingrid so Agnetha called Ingrid.

+

“I’m going to kill that bitch,” Eva whispered as she tried to shield her eyes from the overhead lights.

“Hush,” Paul said. “First we take care of the brain bleed.”

Paul pulled his phone hit a speed dial, “I need you now. New Zealand. Just come to me you’ve never been here before.” Disconnecting and repocketing his phone, he lifted Eva from the floor and as he carried her over to the couch he crooned, “you and me – we’re death. We know that deep down; death is an open door, a way out of bad shit, an escape route.” He positioned her so her head was in his lap. “And you and me, when we get pissed, we find a way to make it so that the people who piss us off will crawl naked, over broken glass, begging us to kill them. Right?”

Eva nodded minutely and gasped when a warm hand touched her head and the pain vanished, and she was suddenly sober. She looked as the strange man touching her head and asked, “Who’re you? When did you get here?”

“Gary,” Gary said, “welcome to the family, Lady Death.”

“Thanks man,” Paul said, “where’s Ty?”

“We had a fight,” Eva said, “he stormed out.”

Paul pulled out his phone, hit another number and said, “Where the fuck are you?” He paused and said, “I’m sending Gary - you need to be here.” After ending the call her said, “He’s at Dawn’s, go get him will you?”

Eva watched Gary stand and then vanish in thin air and said, “What?”

“Why would he go to Dawn’s?” Paul mused.

“I locked her in the cold room, but then she wasn’t there so he went to see if she was okay,” she said.

“Eva, Dawn could clean your clock in a fight and locking her in a room, not really a problem anymore than it would be me,” he laughed, and asked, “What did she do to piss you off? I mean I get that her girly girl view of the world clashes with your high goth priestess thing-”

Eva cut him off with a smack, he laughed while she said, “She’s Ty’s old girlfriend and she wants him back.”

“No she isn’t – I’m Ty’s old girlfriend,” Paul said. “And the only Johnson brother Dawn does not want to kill on a regular basis, well not every day at least; is Anders.”

“But Agnetha said,” Eva said.

“Who’s Agnetha?” Paul cut in, “not the bitch who just tried to kill you?”

Eva narrowed her eyes and looked toward the cold room just as Ty and Gary walked into the room from out of nowhere.

“What happened?” Ty said, coming over to the couch and tentatively touching Eva.

Paul slid out from under Eva’s head and Ty slid in. Paul crossed to the bag left in the middle of the floor and started unpacking it. There were gloves, plastic bags, a large tarp, alcohol, and some clear odorless fluid, a syringe. He looked at his brother and said, “premediated, well-planned, even went to the trouble to generate an argument prior to the murder – think if we called Dawn she’d say the reason she stopped by out of concern for Ty was prompted by something this – who the hell is she, pantheon-wise?

“Freyja,” Ty said. “It’s who my mother was before she took her tree sabbatical.”

“That was why you were asking all those questions about memories of previous vessels being passed on to later vessels,” Paul said. He used his phone again and said, “Tell me everything you know about Freyja.” He waited, listening.

It took both Ty and Gary to keep Eva on the couch and from bolting into the ice room and clawing out Agneth’s eyes.

“No I don’t want fucking tea,” Eva growled.

“Apparently we can’t just kill her,” Paul said, pocketing his phone and coming back over to the couch.

Gary got up and said, “Can we just dump her on glacier up above the Arctic circle? Then she would technically die of exposure.”

“Ask RJ, he’s checking some records and coming to give us advice on what we can and can’t do,” Paul said.

“Well we can’t leave her in the cold room,” Ty said, trying to sooth Eva by petting her hair which just seemed to be making her angrier.

Neither Paul nor Gary turned to them as they said together, “Yeah we can.”

Eva sat up, pushing Ty away and scowling, “She fucking tried to kill me – why can’t we kill her.”

“It’s some Norse custom, apparently given your volatile nature you would have wiped each other out ten times over if you didn’t have to have this hootenanny or something. RJ is just looking up who has to call it, your husband, your father or your leader,” Paul said.

Eva stalked over to him, hand on hips and screamed, “I was the one nearly killed; I can call it myself!”

“Hey, not my fault,” Paul yelled back, “you shrewish cunt. I come from a matriarchal culture. You guys are the ones who’re all about the cock.”

Ty jumped up and tried to get between them as Gary drawled, “Not sure you have a leg to stand on bro, at least as far as being all about the cock.”

“Not helping,” Ty growled low and dark, Hod dangerously close to the surface. Eva turned and grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him deep, her hand moving down, popping buttons off in its wake.

“Fuck this,” Paul said and bending, put one arm around Ty’s knees, shouldered into him so he was carrying him, reaching his other arm out to push Eva ahead of them he said, “Bedroom; now.”

Just as the door was kicked shut, Eva’s voice shrieked out and Paul’s dark laughter bounced around the building. RJ walked out of the air a few feet from his twin, not actually looking where he was going while reading a large leather bound book written in runes. “This is actually pretty cool, you think I can sit in as a witness, I’ve never-” he cut off abruptly and looked around, “hey, where is everyone?”

“Sometimes sex happens,” Gary said. “So who calls the hootenanny?”

“Folkmoot.” RJ said.

“Whatever,” Gary said, “sister death and darkness is not happy about not being judge, jury and executioner. And not that I’d tell her but I totally get it; who wants to get permission to kill someone when they tried to kill you – that’s just fucked up.”

“Well, we need Odin,” RJ said, “He has to call the Folkmoot.”

Another shriek and he slap of flesh against flesh came from the bedroom, accompanied by pounding on the ice room door.

“Odin; the twat who keeps pissing off Dawn?” Gary said, “She cursed him impotent you know. Little Dawn, who loves everyone, got pissed off enough to curse someone impotent, the mind boggles on just what he could have done to provoke that.”

“So go get Odin,” RJ said. “But don’t pull him though the lea lines; Dad says he’s delicate.”

Gary sighed and said, “Think Dawn’ll let me borrow her car? She knows where he lives right?” He vanished and then reappeared and asked, “What side of the road do they drive on here?”

+

A short man with a large nose answered the door after Gary knocked. He hoped Dawn had given him the right directions, because Odin was supposed to be taller. Gary said, “Is O-” this was awkward, because he should have asked Odin’s name. “Tall guy, named Johnson, is he here?”

“Axl?” the short man asked.

Gary smiled, because like his daddy when he didn’t, he scared people, “Sure, Axl. Is he home?”

“Come on in,” he said and lead the way down a corridor with open doors showing messy bedrooms, into a lounge with the TV blaring.

Gary waited for the kid on the couch to notice him. When Axl did he did a comedic double take and said, “Hi, um”

“We should go,” Gary said inclining his head toward the door.

Axl scrambled to his feet and followed him down the corridor, brushing off the short man’s offer to accompany him. Outside Gary said, “I didn’t bring a car. Do you want to take yours?”

“Where are we going?” Axl asked as they walked down off the porch.

Gary said, “Ty’s place. You’re not inclined to startle easily right? You won’t run of the road unexpectedly if you hear bad news?”

“What happened?” Axl said getting into the driver’s seat and starting the engine.

Gary sighed and said, “Well if you’re not inclined to kill us I’ll tell you on the ride over.”

+

Agnetha shivered in the cold. The damn room was encased in metal. She’d got a call through to Ingrid but the static and distortion was so bad she couldn’t make out anything. She’d tried texting but had never been good at it and her fingers were numb. She had no idea if anything had gotten through. On the off chance the noise was only on her side she’d told a plausible story of how she got locked in and instructed Ingrid to send Michele.

+

“It’s just that, I don’t really understand computers,” Ingrid fretted and paced the narrow aisle by the bed. “I don’t like them really.”

“Me either,” Olaf said. They’d been having a root and then her phone had rung, normally she’d have let it roll to voicemail, but Agnetha paid her bills and she said she felt obligated to always take her call. Olaf had listened with her on speaker and couldn’t add any more information. It was obvious Agnetha was trapped somewhere and that she was asking for Michele. To Ingrid that meant she was in need of medical attention and possibly dying. Olaf hadn’t even been aware that the Irish had returned Michele.

“I know there’s a way to use a computer to track down someone’s location by their cell phone,” Ingrid said. “I just don’t know how. To think she needs us and its lack of knowledge that’s causing me to fail her. I don’t just feel like I’m failing Agnetha; I feel I’ve failed Snotra.”

“You are Snotra, babe,” Olaf said.

“I should have acquired the knowledge for her, Snotra can’t be expected to impart knowledge of modern technology, I should have taken a class,” Ingrid said. “I just don’t like computers they’re so impersonal. The written word has personality; you can feel the passion and pain of the writer. It speaks to more than your brain it reaches your soul. Electronic information is so impersonal, so cold; you can never tell anything about the person who compiled it or even if a person was involved. It could have been assembled by other computers. It’s so easy to alter things online there’s no history, no permanence. I just don’t like it.”

“Me either,” Olaf said, “Maybe she doesn’t need medical attention. Maybe the reason she wanted Michele was because Michele knows where she is.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant,” Ingrid breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the bed next to Olaf, “that’s absolutely brilliant.” Then she looked troubled again and said, “Except I don’t know where Michele is, she took one look around here, called it a dump and then disappeared. My old number for her just rings and rings; the voice mails been full for ages – oh, maybe Stacey knows.” She began feeling around the bedding looking for her phone.

+

“Well we have to let her out she could die,” Axl said and then flinched at both the glares from the twins and the sound of what might be a fight from Ty’s room. Well the walls sounded like something had been thrown against them and a shriek had rang out earlier but there was a lot of laughter and a rhythmic slapping sound. “Why isn’t Ty out here taking care of this?

The twin with the goatee said slowly, and this one treated him like a moron, the other one might be even more chemically laid back than Olaf but this one was asking to get punched, “You are Odin. You must call the Folkmoot. You must act as judge. You must set the punishment. You investigate the charge. Did you suffer a head injury as a child?”

“RJ, lay off man,” the other one said while texting, “you know they think they’re mortal until someone shoves a god inside them. That’s going to mess with them something fierce. All those Norse rules and ruins you’ve been studying, he’s never seen. Axl does anyone in your pantheon have special dietary requirements?”

Surprisingly the answer came from the other direction, “Stacey’s a vegetarian, personally I have no patience for that hippy dippy shit,” Eva said stalking out of the bedroom and heading toward the fridge. Ty followed tucking in his shirt and Paul brought up the rear, shirtless with vivid red scratches on his back and chest.

“Is she one of those vegetarians who just won’t eat cute animals or no meat at all? And if it’s just cute animals; where do goats fall in the cute/not cute debate,” Gary asked, her.

The air parted and JT stepped though carrying large rectangular aluminum containers and said, “I have red beans and rice as the vegan option, or whatfuckingever. Everything else has meat, we got goat, rattlesnake – don’t tell Ella – and Dad sent a seafood option, everyone loves opihis, right.”

“You’re now catering lynching, I can’t believe we shared a womb,” Paul said.

RJ said, “It’s not a lynching, its official. We have Odin.” He made an expansive game show hostess gesture toward Axl.

“Axl what are you doing here?” Ty asked.

“Fuck that, have you met the Norse, they can’t do anything without going out into the woods and tramping around in the dirt. Which one has the rattlesnake?” Paul said, lifting the lid on the topmost container.

Eva opened a bottle of wine and asked, “What’s opihis?”

“Seriously, never ask what’s in the food they bring,” Ty said getting down some glasses.

“Sea snail,” JT said removing lids from the containers, “We need serving spoons and tongs; oh, and plates.”

Axl came over lured by the smell but added, “This is not a party. Ty, should I call Mike?”

“Want me to go get Anders?” Gary asked. “I really think this situation calls for a bard, hunt gods are notoriously volatile. I mean we all remember Cernunnos.” The Irish all let out a groan of commiseration and started to serve themselves while someone muttered ‘what a dick’.

+

Anders had got a call on his cell from Dawn updating him on what was going on and he headed back to his suite at the Keep. Dom dogged his steps asking about Folkmoots and then pointing out that it might not be entirely a Norse pantheon thing if Eva had the potential to be carrying Paul’s child at the time of the attack.

So he and Dom were conferencing over the internet with RJ, Ty and Axl about what could or should be done to Agnetha. Dom may technically be a Greek god but he’d been raised in the Aztec pantheon and apparently inherited or acquired a level of blood thirstiness that pointed out he was a child of war who’d been raised in a culture that took human sacrifice to whole new levels.

Dawn’s only opinion about the whole mess was to make sure Agnetha paid her bill before being executed. She had however offered to come get them. Anders did mention to the lot of them that someone should clue in Eva’s father as to what was going on so he didn’t get all offended for being left out; or something equally fairytale-esk. The tree branch was safely at Dawn’s and Anders called and checked out of the room he hadn’t been staying in at the hotel in Norway, figuring that regardless of the result of the Folkmoot he didn’t need to lay low any more.

By the time Dawn walked in, Anders was packed but she said, “Just bring a carry on. We can get the rest another time. Dom do you have your passport?”

“I can come? Cool. All I saw last time was Anders’ bedroom,” Dom dashed off, probably to get his passport.

“He likes you,” Dawn said to Anders’ curious look. “You like him too, I can tell.”

Anders smirked and said, “He seems to have you wrapped around his finger.”

“Even before he was Eros, when he was a gangly kid following me around I could never say no to him,” Dawn said.

Anders said, “Well, it should make Mikel’s head explode if nothing else.” On his way out he called Olaf, reached the voice mail that he never listened to and left a message suggesting he gather as many of the pantheon as he could and head to Ty’s.

“I’m not comfortable with finding Ty’s off the lines, I can take us to your place,” Dawn said.

Anders asked, “are you sure you’re not just avoiding my family?”

“Of course I’m avoiding your family, your family makes me crazy,” Dawn said.

Dom met them as they entered the commons room and walked out to the edge of the shields.

As they entered Anders’ flat he checked on his fish and Dawn yawned and stretched and said, “You two will drive over right, I can go to bed?”

“You’re really not coming?” Anders said.

Dawn kissed each of their cheeks and said, “Best I stay in the shadows, no reason to out me to Loki or the rest of the crazy goddesses.”

“Sjofn already knows you’re a goddess,” Anders pointed out.

Dawn said, “That one doesn’t give up information unless it’s to her advantage.”

Dawn vanished back to her place. After digging out the trunk of warding stones they’d used for the last Folkmoot, Anders and Dom headed over to Ty’s place. Never having been there he had to load the address in his GPS and have his car tell him where to go. Other than Ty’s van only Axl’s car was out front. Ty looked incredibly relieved when he opened the door. Dom after helping carry the chest in, joined the Irish by the food and Anders joined his brothers by the bar. “We called Mike,” Axl said by way of greeting.

“What about Loki?” Anders said. “No need to make an enemy, he’s your father-in-law Ty.”

Ty looked uncomfortable and mumbled, “Eva doesn’t want him.”

“I’ll call him, what’s his number?” Anders said, “What? It won’t impact me getting laid and it’s for the good of the pantheon.”

Ty gave him the number all the while eyeing the Lady Death as she pushed large men away from her knives.

“Gundersen,” was what greeted Anders phone call.

“Loki, this is Bragi. The Lady Hel was attacked with deadly intent by Freyja, Odin would hear your input before calling Folkmoot we gather at your daughter’s hall,” Anders said.

“I’m on my way,” Gundersen said.

After disconnecting, Anders said, “I left a message for Olaf, anyone know how to contact those wacky goddesses?”

“Who’s that guy, I mean I remember him from when you,” Axl trailed off and blushed.

Anders smirked and said, “Eros, of the Greek pantheon, although you met his sister Sonia, she’s with the Aztecs.” He turned his attention to Ty and said, “I guess your kid will have a fifty/fifty shot of being Irish?”

Ty choked and Axl’s eyes widened and he looked at the loud crowd of gods in Ty’s kitchen much differently. Anders wondered if Axl was really just picking up on this now. Ty stopped choking just in time to answer the door and let Mike in. Anders wandered away while they updated Mike and asked Eva if she knew how to contact the goddesses. Eva called Stacey, still cranky that everyone was invading her home and not letting her just stab Agnetha. He didn’t mention her father was coming and figured if she was going to be mad let her be mad at Loki.

When Loki arrived it was with Sjofn and Olaf and his ditzy goddess girlfriend. Anders was hoping they met up out front because the idea of the four of them just hanging out was creepy. Loki hadn’t been around for the last Folkmoot but Michele and Ingrid recognized the twins who had dragged her into the circle, and Michele obviously remembered the other two who had delivered her to them by the way she paled and tried to hide behind Loki.

“Who are all these people,” Loki asked.

Anders drawled, “Sjofn has already met Cainte, Ecne, Lugh and Donn of the Irish and Eros of the Greeks. Gentlemen, this is Loki, the father of Lady Death. And now that we have her father, her Liege Lord and both her husbands; let’s meet the accused and hear the charges.”

“Don’t we have to do this in the woods?” Mike asked.

RJ said, “Of the top of my head I think you people are so big on the woods because you’re set on secrecy. The hall of Death is more secure and I think if the bitch can change into a tree the forest constitutes a flight risk.”

“Not if we burn it,” Loki said.

JT smiled and said, “I like you.”

Someone muttered ‘fucking fire gods’ and Paul opened the ice room, dragged Agnetha out by her hair and tossed her onto the floor. He said, “This one came into my wife’s hall with a tarp and materials to cover a crime, she did not challenge her to combat but struck without warning causing a potentially fatal brain bleed.”

“Who are you,” both Loki and Freyja asked.

Paul grinned down at her and said, “I am Donn, lord of the underworld and father of Hel’s unborn children. Freyja, you gave consent to her marriage; you attended the Gudegilde; and yet you breached my Lady’s hall with the intention to murder her and frame our husband. Know that I intend to petition your allfather for the right to deny you the sweet balm of death and trap you in your ever ageing mortal shell for all time.”

“You can do that?” Eva said, walking over to him eyes gleaming and feral with the idea.

Paul pulled her flush against him and said, “We. It takes three death gods to set that particular curse. It doesn’t get used much, what with how bad having that many death gods together usually goes.”

“You have the best ideas,” Eva said.

For a brief moment hope sparked in Agnetha’s eyes as Ty stepped up to them, it was frozen by the patter of frost moving from his footprints towards her and the sudden drop in temperature as the air almost sparkled with frost and everyone’s breath except Donn’s became visible.

Axl who had been in whispered conference with Olaf said, “If we do this we do it right, Stacey is on her way. When we’re all here-”

Loki made a scoffing noise but it was Michelle who interrupted with, “She’s just a handmaiden.”

RJ’s voice cut across them both and said, “Fulla is of equal rank to any of Frigg’s Ásynjur. Just because Freyja here has pulled a coup with her duplicitous sedition of Frigg’s maidens doesn’t change that, Fulla, Gna, Lofn, Syn, Var, Snotra, Gefjon, Saga, Sjofn, Hlin, Vor, Eir, Huldra are equal and look to Frigg not Freyja, and in absence of your queen you Asnjur owe allegiance to Odin; by vows given when the Aesir subjugated the Vanir and Frigg humbled herself as his consort. Heed your Lord, less you share the fate of your false leader, Sjofn.”

“We can’t just murder someone,” Mike said.

JT said, “This is a court under your own laws, Norse. It won’t be murder; it’s an execution. And she should pray for an execution. Once the vessel is cast aside, Freyja is released. An execution means Odin finds the mortal vessel culpable of the crime and that Freyja is absolved of guilt. There are punishments that follow a godly essence and carry on from one vessel to the next. If Odin finds Freyja herself has gone rogue instead of the vessel he can set a punishment that carries on to her future incarnations.”

“And you know this how?” Mike spat.

JT said, “I am Lugh, High King, Lugh is to the Irish as Odin is to the Norse. I speak for my pantheon and met out justice. Of course my pantheon isn’t composed of rabid, power mad, children.”

“And don’t kill either of them until they settle their debts,” Anders called out. “The cunt still owes j:pr over fifteen thousand dollars.”

“That’s hardly relevant,” Mike said.

“Fuck you, Mikel, unless you intend to pay it?” Anders said, “We also need to determine if this is just a Norse ruling, if Eva’s is with sprog, Lugh has a say in the outcome as well. Do we need the full roster, tell me we don’t have to send for the mad Thunder God and doesn’t another one of the Ásynjur work for Loki?”

“I’ll send for Var,” Colin said and pulled out his phone.

Gary said, “We’re going to need more food. I’ll go. Don’t let anything good happen until I get back.” He then vanished into the air.

 


	25. Let me sleep on it, baby, baby, let me sleep on it

Dawn had headed back to the Keep despite being exhausted. First that ridiculous woman, who telegraphed her every B-movie villainess’ move with smirks and raised eyebrows worthy of bad daytime dramas came into her office – Her Office – with what Dawn was sure the damn tree thought were subtle putdowns and implied Anders was drunkenly debauching half of Norway while squandering the firm’s capital. And then based upon the ground work Dawn had George lay about her and Ty once being an item the bitch implied he was in some sort of abusive relationship. She was going to teach this one the meaning of the word abuse. But she’d pretended to walk into whatever set up was in progress by stopping to see Eva, who really shouldn’t have been drunk if she was planning on getting pregnant. Sure with Gary in the family they could counteract any fetal alcohol syndrome but it didn’t do to take chances.

She knew Eva found her to be school teacher-like and waspish in her lectures. Unlike Anders that didn’t seem to conjure up visons of spankings, at least not in the positive life affirming way. So she wasn’t surprised that Eva had shoved her in Ty’s damn playroom. Surprised maybe that after living with Paul, Eva could forget doors were really no barrier to someone who could walk the paths between worlds. So she headed home and texted Paul that the mother of his possible children was three sheets to the wind and might possibly do herself injury in her drunken state.

That should have been the end to it until Ty showed up to see if she was alright. She hit him with a rolled up newspaper and asked if he’d never heard of the new invention called the telephone. She explained very succinctly how he could just call if he had reason to believe she was not well and she pointed out he should be far more concerned with the state of his possibly pregnant wife. Before she worked up a good head of steam his phone rang and Gary showed up to retrieve the lunkhead.

Johnsons. They were going to be the death of her, the whole useless lot of them. She called Anders to let him know some sort of shenanigans were afoot and then went to retrieve him. Dom was still following him around like a love sick puppy. It was kind of adorable. She remembered when those big brown eyes had been glued to her.

Shortly after her dad had brought her to the Keep, Dom and his sister returned from one of their long visits to New York. Their father ran a successful business there and both their parents lived in Manhattan, but due to, well their divinities they stayed with their mother’s mother the Senora. Dom had to have been all of fifteen and Dawn was pretty sure, being a wise college woman that the appeal was simply that she was new. But he followed her around and wanted to know everything about her. If nothing else it had done wonders for her ego. As he got older he got even more attractive, not surprising given his godhood.

He’d been a lifesaver when that bitch Sjofn had cast a curse on Anders that damned Michele didn’t have the brains or the powers to break. So with nearly ten years of putting him off as too young, they’d ended up in bed together with Anders in the middle. She’d expected Anders to freak more, he’d spent his formative years in rural Hawk’s Bay and lord knew she’d watched him and Ty poke at their vulnerable areas especially the concept of the masculinity. No matter what strides New Zealand as a whole had made in her lifetime with the acceptance of non-heteronormative relationships, the Johnsons were way behind the times. Sometimes she figured that Anders was so open-minded just to be obstinate and go against his family.

So now after dropping Dom and Anders at Anders’ place she headed back to The Keep to see if she could confer with the Senora. She needed an older and wiser head and bringing Laura into this when someone had just tried to kill the woman who wanted to give her the first grandchild would be overkill and possibly kick off an inter-pantheon conflict that even Daddy couldn’t talk her down from. Thankfully the Senora rarely left The Keep.

Gary showed up as they were conferencing in the kitchen with Sonia to get more food and tell them what was going on. Paul’s idea of punishing the goddess by tying her to a vessel, an improvised vessel at that, had merit. Senora while the ruler of the underworld and sacrifice did not have powers geared to death and figured that Paul had Doc Molly in mind as the third death god needed to complete the curse.

+

Anders sighed and poured himself a drink. Mikel was on his last fucking nerve. RJ had left to retrieve the mad thunder god from Whangamaungamoa and showed up with both crazy Derrick and a young blonde goddess who was a little older than Axl and who was now getting the big reveal. Like Eva she had no idea she was a goddess or what goddess she was, but RJ had been questioning her, and hitting on her, and was pretty sure she was either Saga or Vor.

Thor had immediately attacked Loki, Axl had to wrestle Derrick to the ground. They then found out Derrick apparently had a problem with poofters. Paul and his brothers looked ready to kill him but Ty was too busy keeping Eva from carving him up to rein them in. Anders sat next to Olaf and said, “It’s embarrassing, we are fucking feral.” He raised his voice to the room at large, “Really? We needed this lunatic, why? What next are we going to track down Dad because life isn’t screwed up enough?”

Sjofn picked that moment to say, “My mother is Lofn. Her power compels people to come to the event. If you really need to gather the pantheon, I mean if you don’t know where your father is, she could send and invite and he’d be forced to come.”

“Would that work with Frigg?” Axl asked.

“What?” Sjofn asked.

Axl said, “If she sent out a mass invite to the current Norse Pantheon and there is someone who Frigg currently embodies, would she come?”

“I don’t know” Michele said.

JT went to get Karen and brought her to Eva’s hall. Karen usually used her powers to plan parties and was leery about bringing the pantheon together for this because some may be old or infirmed and kill themselves attempting to attend. RJ suggested she might try in the future to limit the invitation to a gathering to those physically able to attend and all other should sent regrets to Axl. But Axl worried it might invalidate the quest if he had her find him.

Once Suzie demonstrated her power RJ announced she was Saga for sure. He also wanted to take her home to meet his dad. Gary, upon returning with enough food to feed an army, confirmed that Eva was not pregnant so it would just be the Norse determining Freyja’s fate. Loki was unclear on just what that meant so Gary launched into an explanation of group parenting and how in giving his permission for Ty to marry his daughter, since Ty was already committed to Paul, his daughter actually had two husbands. And that while she was not currently pregnant she was instrumental in the continuation of the Irish pantheon so if he pissed her off he now had to deal with all of them.

Somewhere, about half way through that Anders could see the wheels turning in Mike’s brain. Mike leaned over Olaf and hissed at him, “Did you know about this?”

“They’ve been together five years Mike, of course I knew about it,” Ander said.

Mike asked, “How come you didn’t tell me?”

“When? We don’t talk. The only time I saw you before Axl’s birthday was when you nearly blinded me at Ty’s godding,” Ander said, “Why didn’t you know? Surely you weren’t so wrapped up in that heinous bitch you were playing house with to that you didn’t notice who your brother was living with. Say did you ever ask her what really happened the night you tossed me out?”

Mike sank back into his chair glaring at all, but mostly at Paul which seemed stupid to Anders. Mikel may be the oldest Johnson brother but he wasn’t, despite his seeming belief, in charge of the pantheon. RJ had dropped some hints about Ullr and his traditional attempts to overthrow Odin. Apparently given how rare Odin’s manifestations were Ullr got to play Allfather quite a bit and RJ theorized this was an attempt to get the volatile god to realize being in charge wasn’t all tea and cakes.

Loki once he realized that burning Freyja would just free her to possibly hijack the next vessel that came of age and start her machinations all over again was actually in agreement with his daughter that she should be bound to the aging rotting corpse. But he also wanted to beggar her and strip her of her money and business holdings.

Gary offered to debilitate her brain so they could stick her in an assisted living facility but Eva wanted her to be aware and suffer. Axl really didn’t have the bloodthirstiness to pronounce any of the suggested punishments and Freyja was shamelessly trying an appealing martyred look on the boy. He went into the other room with Olaf for counsel and Anders followed him.

“You don’t have to pronounce judgment Axl. It’s your right, but you can turn the decision over to another; either the injured party or since she also wronged you, you may lay her punishment on an impartial third party.”

“Who’s impartial?” Axl said. “We can’t tell anyone who isn’t a god. The Irish will howl for blood if I spare her.”

“Axl,” Ander said, “She not only tried to kill Eva; she was going to frame Ty for it. She went to elaborate lengths to have Dawn and George believe he was in an abusive marriage. If Dawn and George were mortals, she probably would have succeeded. And there are other pantheons beside the Norse and Irish. We can appeal to the Maori to be judges, or the Aztecs. I think if we ask the Inuits would do it, or well, I’ve never met them but Dom’s dad is Greek. In light of the sentence Eva and Paul are asking for and its severity perhaps a tribunal of three pantheons. Freyja has been playing all of us and she’s used the fact that her last vessel was our mother. You’re compromised, we all are. No matter what you decide that decision is suspect. The best bet is to turn it over to impartial more experienced gods or goddesses.”

“Olaf?” Axl asked.

Olaf said, “Yeah. Yeah that, I didn’t think it was possible but if we can get them to agree, it might be best. This is big. For better or worse it could really backfire on us.”

Anders called George, who thanked him but really didn’t want to be outed to the rest of Anders crazy pantheon so declined. Paul came in with Dr. Whirlwind, a woman dressed in thermals whose long single braid of dark hair was streaked with silver. There was a knock at the door and a classically handsome man in his fifties with shoulder length dark curls greeted Dom with kisses to both cheeks. Karen immediate began flirting with Ares who was introduced around as Iohannes Onassis of New York. JT showed up with Summer and despite her island coloring and features she had never looked more like Dawn; Dawn when she was about to start hitting him with a rolled up magazine.

Loki wanted to know why all of them were there. Anders left Axl to explain and the Irish moved the furniture clearing the large open living area. Anders opened the case and the goddesses who had been at the last Folkmoot looked warily at the white glowing rune stones. Like last time, Ty and Anders laid them in a circle, as large as they could given how many more deities were attending. While setting the circle, Anders heard Loki giving vent to Axl regarding turning the judgement over to other pantheons, which apparently while Freyja had leaked the existence of the Irish she hadn’t known the sheer number of gods out there.

After storming away from Axl, Loki approached Anders as he was adjusting the positions of the stones and asked, “How many are there?”

“All of them,” Ander said, not even pretending not to understand him.

Gundersen paled noticeably and asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’ve met Aztecs, Greeks, Hawaiians, Maori, Inuit, and Irish of course, I’ve heard of some, Hindu, Aboriginal, Japanese, Britons, Welsh and Roman possible but unconfirmed Egyptians – there’s no reason to believe that if all those exist then ever pantheon from every myth or religion can’t be around somewhere,” Anders said.

“You told him to bring them in,” Colin said.

Ander turned to him and said, “He’s twenty one and he believes that woman is his mother. Do you want to stand by any judgement he would be willing to pronounce on her? I won’t leave someone that dangerous loose but he’s too softhearted and I won’t go against him.”

“Always the bootlicking lackey, Bragi,” Colin spat.

Ander laughed and said, “It has nothing to do with him being Odin, he’s my brother. I’m more mother to him than Freyja ever was. She was less qualified to be a mother than you are to be a father.”

Colin’s face abruptly shifted to rage and in any other situation Anders figured he’d explode into ash but Colin had stepped into the circle when he came to speak with him and Anders power flexed out and silenced the room as he said, “Cease.”

Colin ceased. The temperature dropped to normal. Colin didn’t even blink or breath for that matter. Anders said, “Behave like a god not a rampaging force of nature. You have failed; as a father, as a god, and as a man. You left your child in blind ignorance as to her nature and what forces were acting upon her. You used her as a game piece in you stupid tricks and endangered not only my family but the pantheon as a whole. You should be on trial with Freyja. Walk warily Loki. The other pantheons watch the Norse and will put us down like rabid dogs if we endanger the continued existence of life on this planet. Now take your place and await and abide by Odin’s decrees.”

All eyes were on Anders, all conversation had stopped. Anders dipped his head to Axl and said, “Allfather, the hall is sealed, the door is barred. We meet to seek justice, what is your will?”

Axl stepped in the line with the circle and said as he’d been coached, “Gather Norse, we will speak of justice. Justice must be impartial and not swayed by ties of blood, old wounds or jockeying for power. As such the Greeks, Inuits and Hawaiians will see that our punishments fit the crime.”

When the rest of them just looked at him Anders rolled his eyes and said, “Gather Norse, Odin commands.”

The others found themselves compelled to step in line around the circle. Thor let out a shout and started cursing poets and poofters. Karen let out a nervous giggle, never having seen how Bragi’s power worked. Var silently took her place to Loki’s left. The Irish escorted Freyja to the circle and tossed her in but stayed back. There was space left to Axl’s right for the tribunal, Summer smiled and nodded at Axl, Dom’s father crossed his arms and looked down at Freyja as if he had already decided her fate and Sedna looked serene and unconcerned.

“Aesir, Vanir, we assemble as Norse.” Anders began again, “here, we are not the mortal vessels but the godly essence – here, we remember the law and the consequence of actions. I, Bragi, open the floor for he who speaks for the wronged.”

When nothing happened he closed his eyes and said, “That’s you Axl.”

“Oh, right,” Axl said, “I, Odin, er, I…”

“speak for Hel, she who was wronged.” Anders prompted.

“Speak for Hel,” Axl looked at him as if waiting for more. Anders facepalmed, and Axl said, “I, Odin, will have Bragi, speak for the wronged,” and looked quite pleased with himself.”

Anders sighed and said softly, “Yeah, Odin.” He then raised his voice and said. “I, Bragi, speak for Hel; whose hall was breached and hospitality abused with hostile intent; who was attacked, cowardly without challenge issued and with intent to kill. Hel received a brain bleed and would have died if not for divine intervention of a healing god. I, Bragi, speak for Hod, who was to be framed for this murder,” at this Freyja tried to interrupt, “Silence, accused. I, Bragi, speak for Odin, who survived three attempted murders by her orders, I, Bragi, speak for the absent Frigg whose handmaidens have been usurped and led astray by this scheming shrew. I, Bragi, speak for the pantheon of Norse who are made to look as insane as the Thunderer by this pathetic goddess attempting to raise her rank as both a mortal and a goddess. We are not here to determine if Freyja attempted to kill Hel. This is known and accepted as fact. We are here gathered as a pantheon to determine who is guilty, Freyja or her vessel Agnetha. Will one be punished or both? I, Bragi, speak for the mortal vessels raised by Freyja’s last mortal vessel and say this needs to be determined before Freyja is permit to take a new host and breed again.”

Mike didn’t look happy about being spoken for but couldn’t really disagree that it was a concern. Ty hadn’t lost his icy appearance since Freyja had been dumped into the circle and Eva at his side looked positively gleeful. Olaf looked sad but he was a pacifist. Axl looked painfully young and Anders was glad he’d been able to persuade him to turn the judgement over to someone else. No matter what he had decided it would have weighted heavily on him.

+

Dawn should be in bed but she was up, designing a warding scheme. Mostly as an effort to stay awake so she and Summer could dish after the Folkmoot. It would have been far easier if she knew where Anders wanted to keep the branch of Yggdrasil. Not knowing just what it did was problematic as well. Maybe they could stick it in the wardrobe in the storage area at work. Surely if they didn’t kill Freyja tonight she would be ransacking Anders flat for it, not looking at the office. Dawn liked to think she’d scared the bitch away from the office. Anders had phoned and she’d been the one to go for Summer, ideally they’d wanted Lellie, Summer’s mum because she was older and more experienced but she was busy and Summer wanted to get a look at the Johnsons. Her sister had often expressed disbelieve and thought Dawn made up or at least exaggerated just how dysfunctional they were.

+

Eva looked like she wanted to bite Derrick. Anders had unsilenced him when the circle was broken once the tribunal had retreated to deliberate. Derrick had then voiced his opinion of ass-pirates only to find ice creeping up from his feet. Given that Gary, an affirmed ass-pirate, would be the one to heal any frost bite, Anders thought Derrick may end up with fewer toes than he started the evening with so he crossed to where he was to have a word.

“Listen you lunatic,” Anders said through gritted teeth, “Hod is going to freeze you solid and then Hel is going to rot your corpse and turn it over as a gift to Donn. Why do you care who’s fucking whom? You keep sticking your nose in where other gods chose to stick their cocks and Eros is going to have you pulling a train in the nearest S and M club.” Dom punctuated that with a little finger wave from over near the refreshments.

“They’re all poofs?” Derrick asked as Axl glared at Ty and started chipping away the ice at his feet.

“They’re all flexible in their definition of sexuality, not everyone is an either/or. Some people just like sex and with others it’s about the person not the parts they have and still other are in the process of figuring things out themselves. I realize that you’re crazy as bag of wet cats, but surely you do realize that having someone in your live that you love, that you can depend on, someone that loves you is what’s important. Just be happy that they found someone and it’s not you. How would you feel if someone felt they should be able to say you had to only be fucked by men and if you were with a women they were entitled to not only voice their opinion but attack you for it,” Ander wasn’t actually using Bragi, just trying to keep the violence down but Derrick actually sat down and looked like he was thinking while Suzie filled him a glass and patted his arm.

Axl looked up and met Anders eyes as if he was trying to factor the hot Greek/Mexican who had arrived with him into the ongoing puzzle of Anders relationship with Dawn.

Eva, surprisingly brought Anders a drink and then leaned in and asked, “Do you think it’s really rattlesnake.”

“Fuck yeah,” he replied and then added, “but don’t tell Ella.”

+

The tribunal emerged. Anders resealed the circle and barred the hall again before turning the floor over to the tribunal. For some reason he expected Sedna to speak. She was the oldest, the calmest and the least connected by family ties to Eva. But then it was unusual for two death gods to have shared the close quarters of McMurdo Station for as long as Paul and Molly had. She doted on him and was in some ways closer to him than the children of her body. He was the son of her mind and heart and had been in consultation with her to make sure Eva could carry to term due to Hel’s nature.

Iohannes took the lead, his power washing over the room. People forgot Ares was a god of virility, his natural charism might be the reason both his children had been claimed by sex deities. “Freyja, your vessels criminal record and the subsequent disappearance of her spouse upon your, high jacking her, leave us to rule both you and Agnetha were in accord when planning and executing you crime. You’re a volatile and ruthless deity when inhabiting the most compassionate vessel. And while your pantheon in no way prepares your vessels for the onslaught of sharing desires, thoughts and weaknesses with their deity,” And he paused, looked straight at Axl and commanded, “which will change.” Before he turned back to Agnetha and said, “We do this not only to prevent you from corrupting another vessel but to punish both of you. You’re power will be bound and you shall be suspended neither living nor dying, unaging in full possession of your wits but unable to communicate and committed to a care facility. You will be moved to a new facility every five years under a new name from henceforth.”

.Once the circle was broken and the drinking commenced again Anders asked Ares how they would do that. He believed in magic, given some of the shit he’d seen and changing her name and location could all be handled through mundane means but he had no idea how they would prevent her from communicating. It was Gary who answered, “aphasia, sever aphasia. With her powers bound she shouldn’t be able to heal but I’ll check her every time she’s moved and periodically between moves. She’ll be able to talk and write but it all will get scrambled in her brain.”

“Remind me never to piss you off,” Anders said.

Gary replied, “I’m a sweetheart.”

Anders actually liked Dawn’s brothers better when she was around to shoo them off. Dom came up on his father’s other side and said, “Stop being creepy or I’ll have you on a hair trigger for months.”

Iohannes raised a brow and looked from his son to Anders, and apparently threats were a form of courtship in their family as well. Well that was reassuring. Summer looked at Gary and said, “You’re taking me to the Keep,” she then looked over at Anders and Dom and said, “you want to head out before someone drafts you for clean up?”

So Summer, Anders and Dom were dropped off by Gary and as they crested the rise found Dawn waiting on the patio with a pitcher of white sangria and a fruit and cheese platter. Together they rehashed the Folkmoot and watched the sun rise over the desert, until Paul the elder came and took Summer surfing and the rest of them retired to Dawn’s bed.


	26. Must have been while you were kissing me

 

So Agnetha was gone. Dawn had updated the wards on the office and double warded the large chifferobe that was in the storage room. Behind Anders spare suit and Dawn’s raincoat was now a branch of Yggdrasil. The thing that kept it the most safe was that other than Agnetha, who couldn’t communicate and Anders no other member of the Norse pantheon knew it was there or what it was.

Things had calmed down briefly after Agnetha’s sentencing, until Anders met with Neal Fargate and in the process met Helen. That had erupted like Mt. Vesuvius and left Dawn scrambling to save the company. Helen Larvig knew instinctively how to show a room of people a good time – but her business sense was nonexistence. No wonder she’d only been a manager for other people. With her gift she could have had her own place and made a killing. But she had no work ethic, and was constantly dragging Anders off to play. And while Dawn was perfectly capable of running the company herself, Idunn apparently had a jealous streak and was pressuring Bragi to get rid of her. How the demented cow thought Anders would be able to support her when she wouldn’t let him work and wouldn’t let other people work for him was beyond Dawn. Stupid feral Norse gods.

Dawn made it just on time to her lunch with Hanna Larsen. Hanna had been in town looking at property to move her wedding planning and bridal shop business to. Dawn was suggesting a launch party in the form of a mock wedding reception, with attendants passing h’ordeuvres dressed as bridesmaids and a torch singer in a sleek modern bridal gown. Dawn made a mental note to mention to Helen that they had a client who planned weddings, since Helen had taken to introducing herself as Anders fiancé.

Dom was worried by the abruptness, but Eros had his own Achilles’ heel in the form of Psyche so while Dom had been spared that disaster in this incarnation he was well aware of how godly marriages could impact ones sanity. Dawn had confided that she was at her wits end. There was no way she could foresee a working relationship, let alone the kind of sibling like bond Paul and Eva seemed to be forging, not with Idunn. Helen was a perfectly lovely young woman, if a bit flighty and undisciplined, but Idunn gleamed like a light of madness in her eyes. Dawn imagined that an Idunn without a Bragi could be a perfectly normal goddess. But put Bragi in the mix and all bets were off.

To make matters worse, something was going on with that gormless git of a younger brother that Anders insisted on indulging. Axl was having some crisis of the flatmate variety and had even called Anders regarding giants or dwarfs. Really, leave it to Odin to kick off some sort of multiracial war on in downtown Auckland.

The fact that Anders was currently being led around town by his balls, his in name only as they were firmly in the grip of Ms. Larvig meant that it was Dawn who showed up on Axl’s door step.

“I.. where’s Anders,” Axl said, glancing over his shoulder at a short man who wasn’t human.

“Is that a giant? Axl what are you up to?” Dawn said.

Axl looked panicked and then motioned her to enter. His flat was in a disarray as if a fight had occurred. Dawn pulled her ornate dagger out of her portfolo and motioned to the giant, “you, hands where I can see them, walk six feet ahead of me into the lounge and sit with your hands visible, this will kill you and I will use it.”

“No! That’s Gaia’s dad,” Axl said.

Dawn sighed and said, “He’s no more her father than I am, Axl. He’s not human. And we have treaties; you don’t just slip into this realm without clearing it. And not with the fucking Norse. My kind will police this to the fullest. You can’t just show up here and wreak havoc.”

“Gaia’s missing and he’s just worried about her. Another giant took Zeb,” Axl said.

Dawn said, “I’ve met Zeb, he’s human and of no value. Another giant might kill him but why take him?”

So it spilled out that Axl had somehow let the godly cat out of the bag. Gaia was a goddess of mixed pantheons and due to have her twenty first birthday. She could go either way, Maori or Norse. The other giant was sent to kill her. There was also some cowardly dwarf running around. Dawn felt a migraine forming and thought it might be nice to go pick up Summer and the girls and go to that nice spa in Bali.

While Axl and the giant who had murdered Gaia’s parents and kept her like Rapunzel on an isolated isle monitoring her every move like some creepy science experiment tried to come up with a plan, Dawn called Mum. This was War’s bailiwick anyway. If there were sword fights and rending bones, she was not leaving it up to these morons.

When Laura stepped into Axl’s lounge from thin air in kevlar body armor with a huge claymore in her hands the giant wet himself. Axl stood gaping and Dawn said, “Axl, this is my mum. Mum, this is Anders’ youngest brother,” then her voice went dry as the Sonoran and continued, “I’ve mentioned him.”

“Yes,” Laura purred and patted Axl’s cheek, “I believe you’ve met all my boys.”

Axl swallowed and looked terrified and well he should. While Dawn knew her mum was unlikely to kill the boy she just might bed him and dear God, the God she had prayed to as a child thank you very much, the thought of what children Odin and The Morrigan could produce were terrifying.

“Mum,” Dawn squeaked, and she wasn’t ashamed to squeak Anders’ was very protective of Axl, “shall I fetch some beer, for the aftermath?”

“Good idea,” Laura murmured, sheathing her sword on her back. Just then a tall dwarf came though the garden door. Laura grabbed the dwarf and the giant by the shirt collars and yanked them through the world walls.

Dawn said, “No worries. You’ll have Zeb back before you know it, if you know, he’s currently alive. Ta.”

Dawn left herself, driving her car to the office, and then taking the lea lines to the Keep, before hitting the cellars to sort through the stores. She was not looking for the beer of immortality or any of her father’s restorative brews but one with a light degree of forgetfulness. It should leave the flatmates with a slight hangover and vague feeling of something missing but blur any details in mortal minds. In other words Gaia would still know that the man who had raised her had been her parents’ murderer and Zeb should have no memory of giants or dwarfs, just an idea that there had been a problem with Gaia’s family.

Leaving the Keep she tried to go directly to Axl’s. She hated going new places and while she made it back to his lounge she was disheartened since she had been aiming for his front door. Since no one was around she put the chilled brew into their fridge and headed back to the office. The office she could find in her sleep. Once she confirmed Anders was out ‘not-working’ with Helen and the business was humming away under George’s watchful eye she told George to only call if it was an emergency and went to round up her sisters for a girls’ day in Bali.

+

The heat of the desert hit like a wall and Anders regretted not changing before calling for an escort. As he walked out of the shade offered by the Keep and approached the seating area at the end of the patio. RJ flanked him; normally RJ would dump him when Dawn wasn’t visiting with him and just show up when Anders sent one of the staff to find him. A buffet table had breakfast set up and several people were already dining at one of the tables. The place always more resembled a resort than a private home but given the size of the family and the staff it most likely needed to be run like a resort. The sun was well above the horizon giving the impression he’d jumped ahead in time by five hours, however it was nineteen hours behind and technically yesterday.

“Anders, how nice of you to join us,” Laura said, approaching him with open arms, “Can I get you a drink?”

He hugged her briefly and reminded himself of Dawn’s admonishment not to flirt with her mum. Ever. It was difficult, not because she was particularly attractive. Although she had a great rack and a hard muscled body that made him want to give her a ride despite their age difference she was basically plain. It was the force of her personality that intrigued him and the fact she genuinely seemed to like him, a rather novel experience when he wasn’t useful or using Bragi.

“It’s a little early, thanks. But I do have a favor to ask and I apologize but time is of the essence. I need to get back before I’m missed.” Anders said.

Laura glanced at Paul who was dinning with a young black woman and nodded towards a lounge area under a wide sail like awning. Jeremy lounged on low outdoor couch and was kissing a dark haired dusky young Mexican woman that Anders had to look closer to verify was Sonia as she’d added some streaks to her hair. Anders could see Jeremy’s hand was up under her dress and judging by her frantic movement she was about to straddle him. Laura gestured for Anders to take a nearby love seat and sat on the couch close enough to Jeremy to place her hand on his thigh and say, “Sonia, Jeremy, Anders needs a favor,” as the couple broke the kiss and gasped for air she added to Anders, “Paul’s young lady is mortal, dear.”

“What’d ya need, kid,” Jeremy gasped. Anders had a brief feeling of guilt because this must be how his brothers felt. He was sitting here next to one of Dawn’s dads, who was still making a short, slow thrusting motion with the hand that was still under Sonia skirt. Sonia was blinking, pupils blown, whether from drugs or a recent orgasm Anders wasn’t sure.

“I want to know if I can get a glyph, like you gave Dawn, to keep someone’s powers from working on me?” Anders asked.

“Dawn’s was tailored specifically,” Laura said. “I don’t know of anything that would work on all gods.”

Anders proceeded to tell them about Helen. About their whirlwind meeting and how he wasn’t sure if it was a courtship; so much as her powers working on him.

Jeremy and Laura exchanged the weird silent looks they got when dealing with the children and then nodded to each other without a word.

Jeremy called over to his son, “RJ, find Gary and please ask the Senora to join us.”

Laura rose murmuring, “Emeralds? Yes, and amethyst; and maybe sodalite; that should work.”

Paul’s mortal was whisked off and before Anders knew what was happening he was being divested of his jacket, shirt and tie. When Sonia started on his slacks he found himself in the unfamiliar position of stopping a hot young woman from undressing him. She blinked long dark lashes and gave in a pout of confusion. Jeremy huffed a low chuck and said, “We’re not starting an orgy, kid. There’s gonna be blood, figured you’re fussy about your clothes, so strip.”

Anders relaxed and started to remove his own pants and asked, “What, exactly are you the goddess of again?”

Sonia’s pout transformed into a knowing smirk and she practically purred, “Tlazolteotl; lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds.”

Anders returned her smirk and said, “Now that’s a godhood.”

All told, it took a little over an hour before he was back in Auckland, had picked up some breakfast sandwiches at the local bagel shop and was slipping back into his flat.

Helen was waiting as he entered his flat. “Where were you?” She asked from next to the slowly filling coffee maker.

“Obtaining sustenance to replenish your energies my fairest Idunn,” he said and flourished the bag of food before placing it on the counter and reaching for plates.

“You took long enough,” she commented, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Got there too early had to wait while they opened, didn’t want to come back empty handed with no tribute, my goddess,” he smiled and leaned in and kissed her.

It seemed to distract her sufficiently, even if it made finishing breakfast difficult. After a few minutes she broke away to say, “I wanted to talk to you about Dawn.”

“Again? She’s your favorite subject. If you’re going to put images like that in my head can’t they be you and Natalie? She’s looks like more of a goer, Dawn’s too much like a sister to me to picture you two naked and sweaty” He said taking the chance to gulp some coffee and a bite of his sandwich.

“I just don’t see why you need her. I’m here now,” Helen started.

“No.” Anders purred, pulling Helen into his arms. “You’re here,” and he emphasized it by kissing below her ear, “now. And in order to keep you, here in my arms, someone has to work. Since you’re here with me, and I’m here with you. Dawn has to be the one working – sad for Dawn, but it’s good for her; keeps her from spending all her time with her cat.”

He’d felt it, a burning on his back just below his left shoulder blade. The glyph was a small circular triskeles, between three and four inches in diameter. It was an actual engraving and combined Jeremy, Sonia and Domingo’s powers and resistance. He had understood how Sonia and Jeremy’s power could aid the process; Jeremy’s godhead read like a child of Idunn and Bragi, but it was Domingo who was adding the most to the mix. Young as he was he was scary powerful. Dawn had always said the Aztec pantheon often showed their powers early, hence always having to check her sister Ella for scorpions before bringing her to visit. Still Andres had made sure he had at least a Wikipedia knowledge of the Irish and Aztec pantheons so he was at a loss when Domingo told him during the Sjofn debacle that he was “Eros.”

He was treated by Sonia to a brief explanation of how children of two pantheons were just as likely to be claimed by either. The pointed fatherly look from Jeremy let him know that this applied to his and Dawn’s child or children. Running to them because he wanted to protect Dawn from Helen’s jealousies was probably feeding the long term commitment rumors in the family.

The glyph had felt like an engraving - forget tattooing there were tiny stones in there and he felt every one inserted but that pain paled in comparison to idea of having his chest hair waxed which had influenced his choice of the area it was implanted. The Senora had given him some topical stuff to numb the area and Gary had healed it but Anders had been expecting it to burst into pain at any moment and now it had. Except he knew it had nothing to do with the ointment wearing off and everything to do with Helen using her influence.

Anders kept this face loose and smiling and wondered how one got a divorce from a goddess who you’d been married to for millennia. There hadn’t actually been a spot on his body she hadn’t seen or wouldn’t see again eventually but the glyph appearing between, last night and now would draw too much attention. The longer he could keep her limited to clothes on bathroom and semipublic sex the better chance of the why and how behind the glyph staying secret. However, keeping her away from the office and Dawn was priority; he hadn’t felt this unnerved since Agnetha had used the words ‘I’ll take care of her’ in regard to Dawn. Maybe it hadn’t been a complete lie to point Helen’s jealousy in a new direction? Maybe that really was how you felt about a sister?

“Are you attending the spa day with the goddesses that Sjofn has cooked up?” He asked, adding more milk to his coffee to cool it.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Helen said.

Anders pulled out his wallet, and handed Helen a credit card, he made sure it was the one tied to what Dawn called the recreational account. It wasn’t like he’d be doing body shots of models with Helen around, unless he could talk her into doing body shots off models, which had some potential. “If you think it would be fun, go. On me, just promise under no circumstance to trust them.”

“You don’t like them?” She said, taking the card and sitting in his lap.

Anders kissed her neck; she really was a dish and a half. He would easily have fallen into bed with her whenever she wanted, but the fact that he felt compelled was making him want to be back across the ocean and safely away from her. “Well, Michele shot my youngest brother in the chest with an arrow, then planted enough coke in his car for twenty years in prison, before reporting it stolen and that’s just what she got caught doing, Stacey was freakishly obedient to a goddess who tried to kill Eva, and tried herself to run Axl over with a car, Ingrid seems harmless but she’s hopelessly trusting of the rest of the… what is it with goddesses, a flock? A coven? A gaggle? How about a murder of goddesses, like crows”

“I wouldn’t know,” she said and paused for a deep long kiss, “I never met another goddess until now.”

Her hand was uncomfortably close to where the bandage was under his shirt so he stood keeping an arm around her and said, “Sounds like a marvelously peaceful life. Are you coming with me? I have about a dozen drop-ins to do today. Or should I drop you at Axl and Gaia’s to meet the girls?”

“I’ll come with you, I want to meet our clients,” She said.

+

Axl pulled up with the Maori gods. Only Mike and Olaf were waiting at the meeting place by the lake. After he took one more shot at the Maori about them really not knowing much about goddesses, Axl wandered over to his family while they started dancing and chanting.

“I expected Ander to be late, or given that this isn’t about him a no show, but where’s Ty and his lady of pain and darkness?” Axl asked.

Olaf snorted a laugh and Mike said, “He’ll be here. Eva’s late and Paul is getting territorial about having her around other gods.”

“They’re all late,” Axl said with exaggerated slowness as if Mike’s not making sense.

“No you egg,” Mike moaned.

“With sprog, Axl,” Olaf explained, “as in you may be Uncle Odin.”

“Does he know?” Axl asked in an overloud whisper as Loki swaggered into the clearing, followed by a gaggle of goddesses hurrying Gaia along.

“Knowing our dear sister-in-law, I would not be the one to make that announcement,” Mike hissed quietly while backing Axl away from Ingrid as she was directing everyone to their places.

All in all, Axl thought that goddesses got the short end of the stick. Sure they dodged the public nudity, but lighting; that had been cool. As Gaia emerged from the river and walked passed him and Jerome, they exchanged confused glances. Jerome was okay. If they weren’t both hoping to shove a goddess from their own pantheons into Axl’s girlfriend it wouldn’t be awkward. Despite Zeb being mortal they still hung out occasionally. But Gaia wasn’t looking at either of them; she’s scanned the crowd and then looked around the slope down to the rivers. Finally she turns back to Ingrid, her voice distant and almost monotone, and said, “Where’s my Lord, where is my Bragi?”

“Your Bragi?” Axl heard himself say and yeah maybe does sound like someone just hit him in the head with a board but he’s entitled. Gaia hated Anders. She called in a useless man whore.

Jerome said, “You are not Papatuanuku.”

“I am eternal Idunn, keeper of the apples of immortality and wife of Bragi, first maker of poetry.” Gaia said her eyes take on an eerie green cast to them for the briefest moment.

Axl found himself stepping back into Olaf. His grandfather barely acknowledged the collision and steadied him with strong hands. Even over Colin’s delighted cackling and the clucking of the goddess he heard Mike say to Olaf, “Don’t we already have an Idunn?”

His confusion had been turning to anger but froze leaving him too shocked to say anything when Olaf responded, “and wasn’t she alive and with Anders a couple hours ago?”

Mike and Olaf each fumbled out a cell phone and both calls go to voice mail.

“Anders isn’t answering,” Mike said as he waited for the beep on Ander’s voice mail.

Olaf said, “Neither’s Ty.”

They left messages in stereo of, “call me as soon as you get this.”

Axl shook off his shock, somehow he was both enraged at this brother, and fearful for his safety; Godhood - the gift of multitasking, yea Odin. He stepped up to Gaia, who seems intent on trying to overhear Olaf and Mike talk about how Anders may be in danger. He tried to pull Gaia’s attention away by asking, “How are you doing?”

She at first looked irritated at him but then gave a lopsided smile and said, “I really don’t know.”

“Been there,” He said. “But, no lightening and other than being wet you dress isn’t damaged.” He sighed, “Feel like heading home?”

+

Earlier outside Anders building, “I think you’re overreacting,” Ty said as he parked the car.

Paul rolled his eyes and said, “seriously, you guys – and by ‘you guys’ I mean the train wreck of gods and their freakshows of goddesses that are frankly, a walking reality show – are dangerous. You get a gathering this large and there will be fire and projectiles and at least one of you emotionally stunted Johnson brothers will throw a punch. She’s safer doing a spa day in with Dawn and the girls, not like she was included when that dark cabal of goddesses sniffing after your brothers carted off their future Frigg. You know, that ninety percent of the time I am perfectly content to let you and Eva call the shots. But on the ten percent I push for, you gotta back me up man.”

Ty slammed the door and glared at Paul. He stalked toward the door to Ander’s building, and then he stopped and looked over. “Did you have a vision?”

“I don’t have visions. But,” Paul shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jean and looked down at his boots. “I’m Death, Ty. Something’s goin down, seriously. If I could have sent you to that hen party in Bali, you would be there too.”

Ty turned to press Ander’s buzzer just in time for Anders to come running out the door.

“Run,” Anders said, bolting for his car.

Ty grabbed him and while he was asking what was going on, Anders was simultaneously saying someone killed Helen.

A blonde woman dressed in black and carrying a cross bow emerged and was immediately body slammed by Paul. She dropped the crossbow when he crushed her against the building. And then he jerked one of her arms back and up and he pushed her face first into the side walk. “Call 911,” Paul said.

“It’s 111 here, try to remember what hemisphere you’re in,” Ty said.

Anders finally stopped trying to get into his car and said, “We can’t let anyone know.”

“Anders,” Paul barked. “This is bad. But trust me, call the police.”

“She’ll talk,” Anders said.

“Yeah,” Paul gritted out, grinding his knee into the small of her back, “I’m counting on that.”

The police, emergency services and eventually a coroner’s wagon all showed up over the next hour. Natalie was taken in and statements were taken. Paul and Ty said they stopped to give Helen and Anders a ride to a family gathering to celebrate their engagement. Anders told the story of how Natalie had contacted his company previously and said she represented a foreign company looking to break into a new market. He said both he and Helen were surprised she stopped by in the evening but Helen and Natalie had socialized and figured she didn’t know anyone else in the county. He gave Dawn’s contact information so a statement could be taken about Dawn’s initial contact with her and the dinner they had had together for business purposes.

The police said they had enough information for that night, offered condolences and requested they come in to sign formal statements in the morning.

Ty herded Andes to their car, physically turning him away when he tried to go back into his flat. “It’s still a crime scene Anders.”

Paul started the car and glanced at the brothers. “Call one of your things at our place,” Paul said.

“What about Gaia?” Ty started.

Anders interrupted, “Fuck Gaia, if she were the Frigg we’d all be powered up by now.”

Paul ignored him and asked, “Are things catered? Should we have Eva bring back something from the Keep? How many are you all now? Ten? Will Loki have a plus one?”

“Paul you’re Death not Dining, focus,” Ty bitched.

Anders made a funny breathless noise from the back seat. Ty and Paul exchanged a glance, Paul then watched him in the rearview mirror as Ty turned bodily in his seat to reach back while asking, “Anders?”

“Fuck.” Anders said. “She was pointing that thing right at me. If Helen hadn’t mouthed off to her - ” his voice broke. “She was going to let Helen go, you know; when she first got there. I was the one she was calling an abomination, it wasn’t until Helen started bragging about how both of us were gods-”

It didn’t take them long to get back to the Ty’s house. While Ty got Anders calmed down and tried to keep him sober at least until the others arrived, Paul called Eva. He let her know they were hosting a thing, which she was not happy about but she insisted she was coming to, he told her to have whoever was hauling her back to bring food and lots of it.

Paul took the glass of vodka Anders was drinking and drained it himself. He sat in front of him on the coffee table and silenced his protest with a glare. “So far, we got to hear everything the others were saying so we didn’t contradict each other. Tomorrow will be different. They will most likely be questioning each of us separately. Our stories should match, but not too closely or it will sound rehearsed.”

Anders nodded and dragged his hand over his face, and then scrubbed it back and forth across his beard.

“You met Helen same day and time. You felt an instant attraction, a connection. You found your skillsets complimented each other and decided to bring her into your business. Your romance was a whirlwind. Perhaps moving faster than prudent but you became engaged,” Paul said.

“Both of you thought this woman seemed like a very professional contact,” Paul said. “You were surprised but not alarmed when she stopped by and after you buzzed her in, while waiting for her to get to your door, you and Helen discussed if you should bring her to a family event. You said you thought it would make her uncomfortable; Helen, who had spent more time with her didn’t want her alone in a strange city. You were both shocked when you opened the door and there she was with a weapon.”

Paul rubbed his hands together and continued. “Tomorrow, we’ll probably be informed she’s local; or at least not from Norway.”

“What?” Anders started.

Paul looked from Ty to Anders and back. “Seriously? Jesus, she talked like you guys,” Paul said. “No one but me picked up on that? You were in Norway man; you know what they sound like. I just heard her say a couple sentences to the cops and I heard it.”

“Moving on,” Paul said, waving his hand to dismiss the issue. “This chick was spouting religious nonsenses. She was on some sort of cleansing mission from God.” He sighed and looked up at the ceiling and Ty wondered if he was pulling all this out of his ass. “You were confused. You know Helen was some sort of Neo-Pagan, hippy dippy environmentalist; worship the planet kind of thing. But you weren’t exactly dating her for deep philosophical discussions. Helen was a chick, you were a dick; and you didn’t always listen when she talked about religion and the mother earth, and so on.”

“You’re disturbingly good at this,” Ty said.

The air shimmered and RJ and Gary came in pushing wheeled industrial kitchen style carts containing shelves of covered aluminum pans. JT followed with a keg on one shoulder and swinging Eva’s hand in his, once the lea line faded from existence she jerked her hand free and stalked away like an angry cat. Ty caught her in his arms and she climbed him like a tree.

Just as Anders said, “I don’t want to watch this.”

JT handed off the keg to RJ and plopped down next to Paul on the coffee table and said, “Your woman bro, she’s a little ray of sunshine.”

Paul asked, “What’d you bring.”

“Barbequed chicken, ribs, grilled veggie skews and chicken hearts,” Gary started.

“Oh man I love chicken hearts,” Paul said, jumping up to cross to the food and started opening lids.

“Where do you want the keg?” RJ asked.

“What do you think?” Paul asked, “Ice room?” He glanced to where Eva was examining Ty’s tonsils and added, “Ty can cool it at will, put here at the end of the island. Oh hey, Mum sent the good whisky.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a wake right?” JT said, taking the bottle from his hand and cracking the seal.

“It’s not a wake, it’s a thing,” Ty said, dragging his attention away from Eva.

“They don’t do wakes; they just set shit on fire, it’s a Norse thing,” Paul said reaching to a top shelf and pulling down a tap. He set about cracking the keg.

“We set shit on fire every time there’s alcohol involved,” JT added taking a bottle of vodka off of Anders as he tried to refill his glass. “You can’t wake with vodka - ”

“It’s not a wake,” Anders started.

“There’s food, there’s whisky and someone’s dead,” JT said. “We’re Irish no one does death like us.”

RJ, whistling ‘The Night Pat Murphy Died’ started to set up plates and silverware.

“You can’t stay,” Eva stated and started trying to herd them toward the door, “you’re not Norse. And last time you dulled all my knives.”

“I live here,” Paul said.

JT grinned, “why are you pushing us toward the door, we didn’t come in the door.”

“I thought you were all about hospitality – didn’t Odin change people into trees or some shit due to a breach of hospitality; is that right?” Gary asked the room in general, and RJ specifically “seriously you would be an adorable little black willow,” he said pinching Eva’s cheek, “we would even get you very own vulture to roost on your droopy little-“

A crack rang out as Eva slapped Gary across the face. “Eva, darkness of my soul,” Paul said. “Please don’t hit my brothers, they consider it foreplay.”

Gary and RJ said in unison, “It’s not the twin thing is it cause that just makes us feel cheap?”

The front door opened and Mike and Olaf came in together. Mike said, “I assume this thing has to do with the fact Gaia is Idunnn.”

Ingrid and Stacey came next and headed straight for the food and alcohol.

“Mostly it has to do with the fact Helen was murdered tonight,” Anders said. “One of my clients showed up at my place with a crossbow, spouting some shit about false gods and abominations. She killed Helen.”

“So we’re here to…” Olaf started, trailing off as if the answer would be supplied by the universe at large.

“To send off the fair Helen,” Gary said, and JT poured Olaf a glass of whisky.

“Dude you never even met her,” RJ said.

JT added pointedly to Mike, “Hey I just ferried ‘our lady of doom and darkness’ but I would think if someone is killing you all; there should be a war counsel, at least that’s what Mum would do.”

“Where’s Axl? He should be here,” Ty said.

“Gaia being Idunn threw him, they headed home,” Mike said.

“Home, alone and unarmed, when there are people hunting Gods,” Paul said dripping sarcasm. “And he’s the one who if he dies, you all die. It would be an insult to call this a war counsel – I move we call it a common sense counsel. It’s a stretch, common sense seems to be a deficient in the Norse DNA, but let’s give it a go.”

“Speaking of which, you’re not Norse,” Stacey offered.

Mike pulled out his phone, and got Axl’s voice mail.

Paul swung a straight back chair around with the hand not holding two skewers of chicken hearts and one of grilled peppers. He straddled it backwards and said, “So tomorrow, Anders, Ty and I will be giving statements regarding Helen’s death. Anders will not go in it looking for vengeance. Play it bewildered. You’re still in shock. You can’t believe anyone would do this. Obviously this is a very ill young woman.” He paused to slide a few hearts off of a skewer, pop them in his mouth and continued while chewing. “Vulnerable, in need of help; vulnerability that someone tragically took advantage of and that is the someone you want the police to find. Obviously this poor misguided soul has had her faith abused, corrupted. She is no more guilty of Helen’s death than that quarrel was responsible for it.”

“Who quarreled?” Stacey asked.

“A quarrel is a crossbow bolt,” RJ said, face palming. And added in a mutter to his twin, “I hope to Hel Ragnorok’s not imminent, cause these guys – I’m just saying.”

Paul popped a few more hearts into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I don’t know if they’ll let you talk to her or her family or whoever gets called for her. If you do get a chance to use the voice, you want to empathize – that means don’t be a dick or try to get laid. Point out that the first commandment says have no god before me, that whoever is ordering murder is claiming to speak for god, their god not one of us. Also that they, in fact, are usurping the positon of the one true god by ordering his followers to kill people; that’s blasphemy and you want that name or names so that the person or people taking advantage of, whatever the hell her name is, can be held responsible.”

“I say,” Ingrid said, “have you done this before?”

The Kelly/McKenna brother exchanged glances and then looked guilty. JT said, “It’s not like we mind fuck mortals; that often.”

“Yeah, it’s not like we’re Anders,” Gary said.

Anders said, “Hey, I’m right here.”

“But, well,” RJ started, “Mum’s real strict on keeping track of the bloodline and you know we’re all real fertile, except for the dead guy –“

“Fuck you, asshole,” Paul said as RJ dodged a knife Eva threw from the kitchen. Paul smirked at her and she glared at him.

JT asked, “Would you two like to be alone?”

“Is there any reason for the rest of us to be here?” Mike said.

“The food,” Olaf said.

“My home is a crime scene,” Anders offered.

“Maybe you should be planning how stay alive, your kind can’t step into the lea lines like us,” RJ said.

“Good point,” said Stacey.

“Well I am wisdom,” RJ said.

“A woman is dead,” JT said. “Have you no respect? You’re honor bound to eat and get drunk. And then; sing.”

“What the actual fuck,” Mike said and buried his face in his hands.

“Told you mixed marriages were a bad idea,” Olaf said.

 

 


	27. Notes comments and cast list of OCs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extended director’s comments:

 

Why yes I have an abundance of OC’s – I spent most of Season One picking up clues that Dawn was Frigg – which was probably intentional because writers are sneaky. The whole thing with her being a bridesmaid so many times – I was totally sure she was going to be a goddess. So I wanted to find a way to make her one. Based upon some of the stories I read in this fandom I know it is sometimes mentioned that gods powers don’t work on each other, but Michele whammed Stacey and Collin burned Ty and Mike could track gods (unless they were hidden by parsley) So I went with they control their powers in their area work, but maybe not as effectively on other gods unless they are a more powerful god.

Like much of the Western Hemisphere, I stumbled on to ‘The Almighty Johnsons’ fairly recently. When the show appeared on NetFlix I binged watched all three seasons in two days. (Because, seriously, what a cool concept – okay and hot cast.) The sad part of finding a gem like this is that before you watch the first scene, you already know it’s over that what is in the can, so to speak, is all there is and that there won’t be any more. (Unless it’s a Joss Whedon show and then there’ll be a movie and very important members of the cast will be killed for no reason other than cheap emotional manipulation – still haven’t forgiven you for Wash, big guy, and I never will.) As a writer this deprives you of the time to stop and pause and consider different tangents or deeply speculate which way the plot will go in the next episode while you wait for it to air. The upside is you get all your cannon in right upfront (even the parts where they contradict themselves or change their mind – good job guys, love the fact that I need a chart and a slide rule; and still can’t figure out your ages in the present or when your parents left and that no way does it add up.)

What I came up with and used as a basis to determine the ages of Dawn and the OCs was that as of season one of TAJ this is what the ages were:

Mike = 36

RJ & Gary = 33

Anders = 32*

Dawn* & Summer = 29

Ty = 29

Paul & JT = 27

Eva = 24*

Axl = 21

The ages with asterisks are ones I just randomly guessed at, as opposed to just guessed at since in the series Axl was the only one whose age was confirmed by being stated. I left Olaf off the list because he’s in a class by himself. Mike and Ty I determined by various statements made in regard to how long it had been since their mother left. We know for a fact that Mike was 21 on the day she left. Anders I just randomly stuck between Mike and Ty, and since it was not an even division I made him four years younger than Mike and three years older than Ty – unscientifically based upon the fact he was closer to Ty in cannon. This would have made him 17 – when Mike was sowing his godly oats and Ty would have been 14 with Axl at about 8.

Another feature, in addition to figuring out details like that, is this show - unlike any of the other ones I’ve written for - was it was in another country. I find myself in a position I’ve assisted other writers from outside the United State with of having to interpret or translate daily events and terminology. I examined a lot of maps of Auckland, checked time zone converters, weather, some dry reading on the primary, secondary and post-secondary education system in NZ and looked up information on Wikipedia often two and three times in a chapter, just with throw away details like where and when a character could reasonably leave home for college.

I also had to keep in mind that times change and things that I read now may not have been prevalent ten or more years ago when some of the characters would have been attending school. (this true in real life too, I know current students who are 18 or 19 and are finishing up their Senior year - US schools go 1 – 12 grades, with 1st usually being around 6 years old and grades 9 – 12 generally referred to as high school and the years called freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. However back when I was in school you could get early entry and I was 17 when I started college.) So there are probably lots of things like that I won’t be aware of but may throw a native New Zealander out of the plot – drop me a line and let me know it may help with future fics.

That said – this was posted as written. I know I’m not supposed to do that I should write the whole thing and then edit and revise. But this is fun and not for profit and if I did not start posting I might have stopped.

I like this fandom – I think it has so many possibilities and could be taken for any and all pantheons. I hope everyone thinks of a pantheon maybe that their own heritage may make them familiar with or that is familiar based upon your country or the country of a favorite move or show and starts adapting them to this fandom. Being new to the fandom I haven’t caught on to all the tropes and fannon alterations but I did have to go out to Google and look up why it kept getting crossed with ‘Being Human’ [hangs head in shame – yes, I am blonde, why do you ask?]

Thanks for reading – see below for a cast of OC characters and their Gods and Godesses

 

Paul Kelly III – Goibniu Irish god of smithing fire and hospitality

Laura Flaughtery – The Morrigan Irish goddess of war

Je **r** emy McKenna - Aengus Irish god of love, youthandpoetic inspiration

Lellie Bumatai - HaumeaHawaiian goddess of fertility

Sonia Onassis – Tlazolteotl Aztec goddess of lust, carnality, sexual misdeeds

Summer Kelly – NāmakaHawaiian sea goddess(Paul – Lellie)

RJ (Ramirez Jeremiah) McKenna – Ecne Irish god of wisdom (Laura - Jeremy)

Gary McKenna - Cainte Irish god of healing (Laura - Jeremy)

Dawn Kelly – Boann Irish river goddess, cow whose milk forms the milky way mother of Angus a fertility goddess (Paul – Mildred)

Paul Kelly IV - Donn Irish god of death and the underworld (Laura - Paul)

JT (James Timothy) Kelly - Lugh Irish god of light and rebirth (Laura - Paul)

Ocean Kelly – underage demigoddess no affiliation (Paul – mortal)

Ella McKenna– underage – will be Malinalxochitl Aztec goddess of snakes, scorpions and insects of the desert. (Jeremy - Sonia)

Senora Carmen Vasquez nee Ramirez - Itzpapalotl – Aztec goddess of underworld and sacrifice

Domingo Onassis – Eros Greek god of passion (Sophia’s younger brother)

Mildred Connolly – Dawn’s mother minor Irish goddess Clionadh queen of banshees

Dr. Molly Whirlwind - Sedna Inuit goddess of death

Iohannes Onassis – Ares Greek god of war – father of Sonia and Dominick

Achmaia Onassis – Artemis Greek goddess of hunt sister of Iohannes

Ásynjur - Goddesses of Asgard who have no husband, owe allegiance to no man, and hold Queen and Frigga as their highest authority. Fulla (Stacey), Gna, Lofn (Karen -Michele’s mum), Syn, Var (works for Loki), Snotra (Ingrid), Gefjon, Saga (Suzie), Sjofn (Michele), Hlin, Vor, Eir, Huldra

 

Notes: for the purpose of this AU – Gods breeding from cross-pantheons have a fifty/fifty chance of the offspring being of either pantheon. All cross breedings with mortals are demigods. Demi gods have a fifty/fifty chance of having a god if they breed with a god. Mortal children of demigods who breed with mortal have a zero percent chance of birthing a god, but a 75 percent chance of birthing a god if they breed with gods.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Jim Steinman’s song made famous by Meatloaf on the Bat out of Hell album (yes album it’s that old)
> 
> It should also be noted I am not affiliated with nor making money from anything such as 'The Almighty Johnsons' upon which this work is based


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